Hydrogen peroxide induced chemokine production in the glia-rich cultured cerebellar granule cells under acidosis.

We have documented the time-dependent production of chemotactic cytokine, i.e., IL-8, in the extracellular fluid of astrocyte-rich cultured rat cerebellar granule cells under acidified conditions. In this paper, the mechanism of this production was evaluated based on the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Significant and time-dependent increases of cytosolic H2O2 were detected under acidosis in astrocyte-rich cultured cell. Upon exposure to 10 microM H2O2, significant levels of IL-8 appeared in the extracellular fluid of astrocyte-rich cells, although an initial transient increase of IL-8 was also seen in the intracellular space. Concurrently, after H2O2 exposure cell injury and a delayed increase of cytosolic Ca2+ levels were detected in astrocyte-rich cells. However, in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, the cell injury and the increase of IL-8 production were significantly attenuated. A synergistic effect of cyclosporine A (an inhibitor of the Ca2+/calmodulin-regulated protein phosphatase) and trifluoperazine (an inhibitor of phospholipase A2) on the suppression of H2O2-induced IL-8 production was clearly evident. These results suggest that extracellular acidosis induced Ca2+-dependent H2O2 production, which in turn stimulated IL-8 expression. which is regulated by the cytosolic Ca2+ cascade. Thus, the production of IL-8 from glia cells may have a role in regulating in the process of cell injury.