Journal Article

Galanin is a potent modulator of cytokine and chemokine expression in human macrophages

Ramspacher, Andrea, Kofler, Barbara, Bianchini, Rodolfo, Koller, Andreas, Sternberg, Felix, Emberger, Michael, Brunner, Susanne Maria, Schlager, Sandra

2019

Overview

The regulatory peptide galanin is broadly distributed in the central- and peripheral nervous systems as well as in non-neuronal tissues, where it exerts its diverse physiological functions via three G-protein-coupled receptors (GAL 1-3 -R). Regulatory peptides are important mediators of the cross-communication between the nervous- and immune systems and have emerged as a focus of new therapeutics for a variety of inflammatory diseases. Studies on inflammatory animal models and immune cells revealed both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of galanin. Here, we probed specific immune-related functions of the galanin system and found galanin and GAL 1 -R and GAL 2 -R mRNA to be expressed in a range of human immune cells. In particular, macrophages displayed differentiation- and polarization-dependent expression of galanin and its receptors. Exposure to exogenous galanin affected the cytokine/chemokine expression profile of macrophages differently, depending on their differentiation and polarization, and mainly modulated the expression of chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5 and CXCL8) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β, IL-10 and IL-1Ra), especially in type-1 macrophages. Cytokine/chemokine expression levels in interferon-gamma- and lipopolysaccharide-polarized macrophages were upregulated whereas in unpolarized macrophages they were downregulated upon galanin treatment for 20 hours. This study illuminates the regulation of important cytokines/chemokines in macrophages by galanin, depending on specific cell activation.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 13/21 / 13/51 / 38/1 / 38/39 / 38/77 / 38/90 / 631/250/2502 / 631/378/371 / 82/80 / Animal models / CCL3 protein / Cell activation / Cell culture / Cell differentiation / Cell Differentiation - physiology / Cell Polarity - physiology / Cells, Cultured / Chemokines / Chemokines - metabolism / Cytokines / Cytokines - metabolism / G protein-coupled receptors / Galanin / Galanin - metabolism / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / Inflammatory diseases / Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist / Interleukin 1 receptors / Interleukin 10 / Lipopolysaccharides / Macrophage Activation - physiology / Macrophages / Macrophages - metabolism / Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 / mRNA / multidisciplinary / Peptides / Polarization / RNA, Messenger - metabolism / Science / γ-Interferon