Synergistic Roles of Interleukin-6, Interleukin-1, and Tumor Necrosis Factor inthe Adrenocorticotropin Response to Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide In vivo

摘要

Administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) results in activation of thehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. LPS induces the release of a number of proinflammatory cytokines, I.E. interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well and may mediate the effects of LPS. Variations in the kinetics of appearance of IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 after LPS challenge suggested that these cytokines may play different roles at different times. To elucidate the mutual dependence and contribution of individual cytokines in the course of LPS-induced ACTH release, we used blocking antibodies to IL-6, TNF, and the IL-1 receptor.