Interleukin 6 and liver regeneration

A complex of IL-6 bound to gp80 interacts on target cells with at least one gp130 molecule, thereby triggering homodimerisation of the intracellular domains of two gp130 molecules. 2 It remains to be elucidated whether the membrane bound complex consists of a single IL-6 and gp80 protein interacting with two gp130 molecules or if two of each of the molecules interact as a hexamer. Besides their role as membrane bound proteins, gp80 and gp130 also occur as shedded receptors (limited proteolysis of the membrane bound form) in serum. Instead they displayed rapid onset of dilated cardiomyopathy and massive induction of myocyte apoptosis. [...]these experiments demonstrated that gp130 activated signal cascades mediated cardiac hypertrophy and drove antiapoptotic pathways. 58 A similar approach to better define the role of gp130 for hepatocytes in vivo is not yet established.