Regulation by Interleukin‐1 of Nerve Growth Factor Secretion and Nerve Growth Factor mRNA Expression in Rat Primary Astroglial Cultures

: Primary cultures of neonatal rat cortical astrocytes contain low cellular levels (about 2 pg/mg of protein) of nerve growth factor (NGF), but secrete significant amounts of NGF into the culture medium (about 540 pg of NGF/mg of cell protein/38‐h incubation). Incubation of astrocytes with interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) increased the cellular content of NGF and the amount secreted by about threefold. In comparison, cerebellar astrocytes secreted significant amounts of NGF, and the secretion was also stimulated by IL‐1. The stimulatory action of IL‐1 on astrocytes prepared from cortex was dose‐and time‐dependent. Concentrations of IL‐1 causing half‐maximal and maximal stimulation of NGF secretion were 1 and 10 U/ml, respectively. Maximal NGF secretion induced by IL‐1 (10 U/ml) was seen following 38 h of incubation. The basal secretion of NGF was reduced by about 50% under Ca2+‐free conditions; however, the percent stimulation of NGF secretion by IL‐1 was the same in the absence or presence of Ca2+. The stimulatory action of IL‐1 was specific, because other glial growth factors and cytokines were almost ineffective in stimulating NGF secretion from cortical astroglial cells. IL‐1 treatment also increased cellular NGF mRNA content twofold. The results indicate that IL‐1 specifically triggers a cascade of events, independent of cell growth, which regulate NGF mRNA content and NGF secretion by astrocytes.