BACKGROUND & AIMS Development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) involves the innate immune system and is mediated by Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is a pattern recognition receptor that recognizes bacteria-derived cytosine phosphate guanine (CpG)-containing DNA and activates innate immunity. We investigated the role of TLR9 signaling and the i...

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of sex hormones on IL-1beta-mediated responses by uterine epithelial cells. The mRNA expression and secretion of human beta-defensin-2 and CXCL8 by uterine epithelial cells was examined following stimulation with IL-1beta in the presence of estradiol or progesterone. Estradiol inhibited the IL-1beta-mediated mRNA expression and secretion of...

BACKGROUND Whether beta-adrenergic blockade modulates myocardial expression of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in heart failure is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS We administered oral metoprolol or no therapy to rats for 12 weeks after large myocardial infarction and subsequently examined left ventricular (LV) remodeling; myocardial tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL...

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) have been implicated in cardiac dysfunction during endotoxemia. Because IL-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine known to mediate the production of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and to induce the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), we hypothesized that neutralization...

Abstract Objectives To examine the preliminary effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program in management biopsychosocial stress–related changes associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) among patient/caregiving-partner dyads. Methods PD dyads ( N = 18) early trajectory were recruited from a university-affiliated movement disorders clinic and randomized (1:1) to either MBSR inter...

The cytokine IL-1 mediates diverse forms of neurodegeneration, but its mechanism of action is unknown. We have demonstrated previously that exogenous and endogenous IL-1 acts specifically in the rat striatum to dramatically enhance ischemic and excitotoxic brain damage and cause extensive cortical injury. Here we tested the hypothesis that this distant effect of IL-1 is mediated through polysyn...

In the CNS, astrocytes are a major inducible source of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Although IL-6 has beneficial effects in the CNS because of its neurotrophic properties, its overexpression is generally detrimental, adding to the pathophysiology associated with CNS disorders. Many factors have been shown to induce IL-6 expression by astrocytes, particularly the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (...

Abnormal vascular smooth muscle (VSMC) proliferation is a key feature in diabetes-associated atherosclerotic disease. Since nitric oxide inhibits VSMC tone, migration, adhesion, and proliferation, we examined the effects of high glucose on IL-1beta-induced NO release from VSMCs in culture. Confluent smooth muscle cells, preincubated with either 5 mmol/L (mM) or 20 mmol/L (mM) glucose for 48 hou...

Interleukin (IL)-1beta is a potent inducer of inflammatory prostaglandins, which are important mediators of vascular response to cerebral injury, whereas estrogen reduces brain injury in models of ischemic stroke. Thus we examined the effects of in vivo IL-1beta exposure on cerebrovascular cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and function in an animal model of chronic estrogen replacement. Estroge...

BACKGROUND Recognition of repeat unmethylated CpG motifs from bacterial DNA through Toll-like receptor (TLR-9) has been shown to induce interleukin (IL)-8 expression in immune cells. We sought to investigate the role of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) on a human bronchial epithelial cells. METHODS RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to determine expression of TLR-9 in human bronchial e...