Cytokine mRNA expression and serum cortisol evaluation during murine lung inflammation induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract

A model system was characterized for investigating the potential role of cortisol in MTB induced immunopathology. Serum cortisol levels were evaluated in two mouse strains; C57BL/6 mice develop lung granulomas following acute Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection while A/J mice are deficient in this process. Serum cortisol levels were examined post infection, as well as immunoregulatory mRNA expression in the lung, measured using bioluminescent RT-PCR techniques. Prior to infection, the A/J mice constitutively maintain nearly 75&percent; higher serum cortisol than C57BL/6 mice. Both A/J and C57BL/6 mice exhibited approximately 30&percent; reduction in relative serum cortisol following infection. At no time did serum cortisol levels in the A/J fall below constitutive levels in the non-infected C57BL/6. The overall elevated cortisol in the A/J may affect pulmonary immunoresponsiveness; A/J mice exhibited earlier induction of IL-10 and TNF-alpha than C57BL/6 mice, with a relative lack of IL-2 during late infection. Conversely, the C57BL/6 mice demonstrated higher IL-12(p40) and IL-2 messages at the latter stages of disease than the A/J mice. Both mice demonstrated high IFN-&gama; mRNA. The high constitutive serum cortisol in the A/J mice may therefore contribute to establishment of an environment counter-productive to initiation of protective Th1 cell and granulomatous responses.

• Authors: J K Actor, C D Leonard, V E Watson, A Wells, C Jagannath, R L Hunter Jr, A Dasgupta
• Journal: Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening (Comb Chem High Throughput Screen) Vol. 3 Issue 4 Pg. 343-51 (Aug 2000) ISSN: 1386-2073 [Print] United Arab Emirates
• PMID: 10974146 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Interleukin-1
• Interleukin-2
• RNA, Messenger
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Interleukin-12
• Interleukin-4
• Hydrocortisone

Topics

• Animals
• Cytokines (genetics)
• Hydrocortisone (blood)
• Interleukin-1 (genetics)
• Interleukin-12 (genetics)
• Interleukin-2 (genetics)
• Interleukin-4 (genetics)
• Luminescent Measurements
• Lung (pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Inbred Strains
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• RNA, Messenger (blood)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Tuberculosis, Pulmonary (blood, genetics, microbiology)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (genetics)