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Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Upregulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in Rat Spinal Cord

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Abstract

The proinflammatory and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-inducible cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has been shown to enhance primary sensory nociceptive signaling. However, the precise cellular sites of TNF-α synthesis is still a matter of controversy. Therefore, we focused our study on TNF-α protein synthesis and expression patterns in spinal cord of controls and rats under systemic challenge with LPS. The Enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay showed that the protein level of TNF-α reached peak at 6 h. Double immunofluorescence revealed that LPS-induced expression of TNF-α exclusively located in a subpopulation of neurons, microglia and macrophages. These observations have demonstrated the production of this proinflammatory cytokine by spinal neurons, but the inherent mechanisms remain unknown. Further studies are needed to confirm the pathogenic role of tumor necrosis factor in the early stage of inflammation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China Grant (No.30300099 and No.30770488), Natural Scientific Foundation of Jiangsu Province Grant (No. BK2003035 and No. BK2006547), College and University Natural Scientific Research Programme Jiangsu Province (No. 03KJB180109 and No. 04KJB320114), Technology Guidance Plan for Social Development of Jiangsu Province Grant (BS2004526), Health Project of Jiangsu Province (H200632), the Foundation of Talented Person at the Summit of 6 Fields of Jiangsu Province. (No.2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People’s Republic of China

    Qin Shen, Dan Zhou & Aiguo Shen

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People’s Republic of China

    Qin Shen & Dan Zhou

  3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiyun Ben, Chun Cheng & Yonghua Liu

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  1. Qin Shen
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Correspondence to Aiguo Shen.

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Qin Shen and Dan Zhou contributed equally to this work.

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Shen, Q., Zhou, D., Ben, Z. et al. Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Upregulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in Rat Spinal Cord. Inflammation 31, 336–343 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-008-9083-1

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