| Abstract: | Schwann cell apoptosis (programmed cell death) has been recently observed during the development and in rare pathological conditions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) characterized by demyelination-remyelination. However, the relevance of the phenomenon, and the characterization of the involved molecules are still controversial. This study has been designed to detect in Schwann cell tissue culture whether the administration of different doses of the two pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IFN-γ, singly or in combination, can induce Schwann cell proliferation and/or death via apoptosis. Our results indicate that the administration of IL-1β and IFN-γ induced cell proliferation and concomitant apoptosis in Schwann cells that is numerically related to the different type and dosage of the two pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, Schwann cell apoptosis was maximal within 24 hours following the administration of 50 U/mL of IFN-γ, and we did not observe any synergistic action of the two pro-inflammatory molecules. These findings provide further "in vitro" evidence that cytokines can interact with Schwann cells through a mechanism that is probably mediated by the modulation in time and concentrations of these different pro-inflammatory molecules. |
