ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effects of Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and interieukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL- 1ra) on mesangial cells proliferation and nitric oxide synthesis. METHODS: Glomerular mesangial cells from SD rats were cultured. The first and second passages of cultured cells were used for the experiment. LPS and LPS plus IL- 1ra were added in cell cultures, respectively. By using chemical method the nitrite in supernatants was measured ,3H- TaR incorporation was determined to evaluate the GMC proliferation. Northern and slot hybridizations were performed to detect the expression of iNOS mRNA. RESULTS: There were expression of iNOS mRNA, more production of nitrite(0.64 + 0.25 vs 0. 12 + 0.06 nmol/104 cell) in supernatants and GMC proliferation(3735 + 1177.9 vs 1785 + 280.6) in LPS group compared to the control. While compared with LPS group, in LPS + IL- 1ra GMC group, expression of iNOS mRNA decreased by 40%, nitrite increased(3.28 + 0.33 nmol/104 cell), proliferation of GMC decreased (818 + 77.27). CONCLUSION: LPS could activate the GMC to express iNOS mRNA and produce more nitrite. IL - 1ra could partially inhibit the effects of LPS on the expression of iNOS mRNA in GMC, but not nitrite. There is no synchronous correlation between NO production and GMC proliferation.