Interleukin-6 as a neurotrophic factor for promoting the survival of cultured catecholaminergic neurons in a chemically defined medium from fetal and postnatal rat midbrains.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6, human recombinant) promoted the survival of catecholaminergic neurons from fetal and postnatal rat midbrains as assessed by an immunohistochemical staining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in culture using a chemically defined medium. The maximal dose of IL-6 for the cell survival of postnatal P15 rat mesencephalic TH-positive neurons in culture for 7 days was 50 ng/ml. The survival-promoting effects on P15 cultures were observed both in high- and low-density cultures. The survival effect of IL-6 on the cultured P15 TH-positive neurons was significant for only 4-15 days in vitro. However, the viable number of TH-positive neurons with IL-6 was less than that of the control at early points in the culture process (1-2 days in vitro). Continuous presentation of IL-6 was required for promoting survival. The optimal dose of IL-6 for the survival of fetal E16 midbrain TH-positive neurons was 5 ng/ml, and the survival promoting effect was less than that for the P15 cultures. The maximal dose of IL-6 for the survival of P2 TH-positive neurons was 5 ng/ml and that of P8 was 50 ng/ml, indicating that the response of rat mesencephalic TH-positive neurons to IL-6 changes during the first postnatal week.