The interleukin-6 (IL-6)/IL-6-receptor system induces human chorionic gonadotropin production by activating tyrosine kinase-dependent signal transduction pathway different from pathways triggered by protein kinase activators including gonadotropin releasing hormone.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) may play an important role in human CG (hCG) production by activating the IL-6-receptor (-R) system on human trophoblasts. Trophoblasts produced hCG in response to rIL-6 as well as to 8-bromo cAMP (8-Br-cAMP), 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and calcium ionophore A23187. To determine whether the signal transduction pathway activated by the IL-6-R system depends on protein kinases such as protein kinase A, protein kinase C, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase, trophoblasts were stimulated with recombinant (r-) IL-6 in the presence or absence of protein kinase inhibitors such as N(2-methyl-aminoethyl)-5-isoquinoline sulfonamide dihydrochloride (H8), and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfomyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7) and a calmodulin antagonist, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1- napthalenesulfonamide (W7), H8, H7, and W7 failed to suppress rIL-6-induced hCG production but completely inhibited hCG production induced by 8-Br-cAMP, TPA, and the GnRH agonist (GnRHa), respectively. In contrast, genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, completely suppressed rIL-6-induced hCG production but failed to inhibit hCG production induced by 8-Br-cAMP, TPA, and A23187. Genistein also did not suppress GnRH-induced hCG production. The addition of genistein to rIL-1- and rTNF-alpha-stimulated trophoblasts inhibited rIL-1-induced and rTNF-alpha induced hCG production but maintained rIL-1- and rTNF-alpha-induced IL-6 production. These results show that the IL-6/IL-6-R system-induced signal transduction pathway in the placenta probably stimulates hCG production by activating a tyrosine kinase pathway. The experiment with genistein shows that the GnRH/GnRH-R system activates a signal transduction pathway distinct from that activated by the IL-6/IL-6-R system.