ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effects of Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and interleukin 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-TdR 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.