ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To Study the effect of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) combined with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the second messenger of mouse lung fibroblast in order to research new target point for cytokine to treatment of pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The lung fibroblasts of breed mouse were primarily cultured. 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha and 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha combined with PGE(2) of different doses were added to culture medium of fibroblasts. The gamma value and CPM value were respectively measured for second messenger of cAMP, cGMP and IP(3) of fibroblast by immune-radio assay at different observation time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When treated with 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha + 1,000 pg/ml PGE(2) at 120 s time points, the CPM value of IP(3) of fibroblast was the maximal value [(76.33 +/- 7.10) CPM]; when cAMP/cGMP ratio declined to 4.29 at 24 h time point, the effect of fibroblast proliferation was the strongest; when 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha + 500 pg/ml PGE(2), and 2 000 pg/ml PGE(2), the CPM value of IP(3) of fibroblast were 27.00 +/- 3.00 and 61.00 +/- 2.65 respectively at 120 s time point, cAMP/cGMP value were 3.50 and 9.83 respectively at 24 h, the effect on fibroblast proliferation were obviously lower.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Certain dose of PGE(2) could raise the ratio of cAMP/cGMP of fibroblast, and antagonize the proliferation effect of TNF-alpha on fibroblast.</p>