Interleukin 1 induces the expression of a heat-shock gene in chondrocytes.

The presence of T cells and antibodies reactive with heat-shock proteins (hsps) in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis may indicate a role of hsps in this disease. In the present study we examined whether increased temperature and interleukin 1 (IL 1), both of which are elevated in arthritic joints, induced the expression of two hsp70 genes in bovine chondrocyte cultures. We found that heat shock resulted in increased expression of constitutive and inducible hsp70 mRNA species. IL 1 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also induced an increase in the constitutive hsp70 mRNA species, but without affecting the expression of the inducible hsp70 gene. The increase induced by IL 1 was observed only after 3 h, whereas increases induced by PMA were observed within 1 h. For all treatments, the hsp70 mRNA decreased by 24 h. Heat treatment of chondrocytes did not affect levels of collagenase and caseinase activity in the medium, nor did it alter proteoglycan synthesis by these cells.