ROLE OF PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS IN INTERLEUKIN 1-ALPHA-INDUCED PROSTAGLANDIN PRODUCTION IN OVINE ASTROGLIA

Experiments were done to determine whether interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 a lpha) induces prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in cultured astroglia and t o examine the role of enhanced cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2) synthesis in t hese responses, Immunologically identified fetal ovine astrocytes were exposed to IL-1 alpha or to media alone, Application of 10 ng/ml IL-1 alpha increased the production of PGF(2 alpha) for 2-24 h, Coincubati on of IL-1 alpha with actinomycin D (1 mu g/ml) or cycloheximide (10 m u g/ml) completely blocked the increase in PGF(2 alpha). Immunoblot an alyses revealed that the synthesis of COX2 was not increased by IL-1 a lpha at 4 h, However, with incubation of IL-1 alpha for 8-12 h, COX2 l evels were increased, These results indicate that longer periods than 4 h are necessary to increase COX2 protein, suggesting that proteins o ther than COX2 are involved in early IL-1 alpha-induced PG synthesis.