Expression data for rat CNS mixed glial cultures treated with cytokines

To examine changes in gene expression that might occur in CNS glial cells in response to the secreted products of immune cells, we used gene array analysis to assess the early effects of different cytokine mixtures on rat mixed CNS glia in culture. We compared effects at 6 hours of cytokines typical of Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes, and monocyte marophages (M/M).. We found unique patterns of changes in gene expression for each of the three cytokine mixtures, including changes in immune-related molecules, neurotrophins, growth factors, proteins involved in axon/glial interactions, ion channels, neurotransmitters, mitochondrial function and apoptosis. These changes may have relevance in neuroprotective or damaging mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, specifically with regard to formation, repair or inhibition of lesion formation. Keywords: Treatment with different cytokine mixtures Mixed CNS glia cultures from newborn rat brain were treated for 6 hours with cytokine mixtures representative of Th1, Th2 or monocyte/macrophage cytokines