There is strong evidence for the involvement of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin (IL)-1 in the biochemical mechanisms of parturition. Therefore the effects of the IL-1 family (IL-1alpha (1 ng/ml), IL-1beta (1 ng/ml) and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) (10 ng/ml)) on the regulation of prostaglandin synthesis in term human fetal membranes were investigated. It was found that, afte...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder leading to bone and cartilage destruction. A substantial body of evidence suggests that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) contributes to the pathogenesis of RA, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, inhibitors of the synthesis of PGE2 and other prostanoids, continue to be used in the treatment of this disease. To begin to understand the mec...

Tumor-derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) modifies cytokine balance and inhibits host immunity. We hypothesized that a high level of PGE2 production by lung tumor cells is dependent on tumor cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression. We found that PGE2 production by A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells was elevated up to 50-fold in response to interleukin (IL)-1beta. Reversal of IL-1beta-induced P...

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is one of the inflammatory cytokines, which plays a pivotal role in both host defense and homeostasis. Its signal is transduced by type I IL-1 receptor (IL-1RI). This report gives an insight into the regulatory mechanism of IL-1RI in both in vitro and in vivo. IL-1 up-regulates IL-1RI through prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production on human fibroblasts. However, in the presence ...

BACKGROUND The fructus of Kochia scoparia Schrader (Chenopodiaceae) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been used for treating gonorrhea and dermatitis. OBJECTIVE We investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of three marker compounds, including 20-hydroxyecdysone, momordin Ic, and oleanolic acid, from the fructus of K. scoparia. MATERIALS AND METHODS The simultaneous analysis of t...

Proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1beta can cause cognitive impairment, activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and impair monoaminergic neurotransmission in the rat. IL-1beta has also been shown to increase the concentration of the inflammatory mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the blood. Omega (n)-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are components of f...

The role of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in Th1 cell differentiation is well established. The heterodimer p70, composed of a p40 and a p35 chain, is the biologically active form. IL-12 production by human monocytes is enhanced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and inhibited by IL-10 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individu...

Fong, Choong Yi, Linhua Pang, Elaine Holland, and Alan J. Knox. TGF-b1 stimulates IL-8 release, COX-2 expression, and PGE2 release in human airway smooth muscle cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 279: L201–L207, 2000.—We have recently shown that endogenous prostanoids are critical in bradykinin-stimulated interleukin (IL)-8 release from human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. In this stu...