A. Magalini et al., ROLE OF IL-1-BETA AND CORTICOSTEROIDS IN THE REGULATION OF THE C EBP-ALPHA, C/EBP-BETA AND C/EBP-DELTA GENES IN-VIVO/, Cytokine, 7(8), 1995, pp. 753-758
We have examined the regulatory effects of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 be
ta) on the activation of three different isoforms of the C/EBP family
of transcription factors (alpha, beta and delta), in hepatocytes of no
rmal and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats, C/EBP-beta and delta mRNA levels
were enhanced by IL-1 beta, whereas that of C/EBP-alpha was not affec
ted by treatment with this interleukin in both normal and adrenalectom
ized rats, The magnitude of the induction was strikingly higher for C/
EBP delta in adrenalectomized animals, indicating a suppressive effect
of corticosteroids in the IL-1 beta regulatory pathway. The pattern o
f C/EBP protein synthesis did not always reflect the mRNA findings, Fo
r C/EBP-alpha the protein synthesis was higher than expected in IL-1 b
eta treated ADX animals compared to normal rats. The pattern of C/EBP
synthesis was the one that better reflected the pattern of the mRNA tr
anscription, Differently, the induction of C/EBP-delta was not as pron
ounced as that of the corresponding mRNA in IL-1 beta treated ADX rats
, Hormonal modulation of C/EBP transcription factors was studied in pa
rallel with the hormonal induction of the Alpha-1-Acid Glycoprotein (A
GP) gene, which is known to be highly induced in rat liver during the
acute phase response. This short report also indicates an important ro
le of corticosteroids in the regulation of transcription factors invol
ved in IL-1 beta signalling during the acute phase response.