Autocrine actions of macrophage-derived catecholamines on interleukin-1 beta.

Previous studies indicate that norepinephrine and epinephrine modulate production of interleukin-1(beta) (IL-1(beta)) by activated macrophages, but it is not known if macrophage-derived catecholamines affect IL-1(beta). In this study, recruited peritoneal macrophages from CBA/J female mice were activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with vehicle or adrenergic receptor antagonists for 24 h. Extracellular and intracellular levels of IL-1(beta) were measured with ELISA. Treatment with the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists propranolol or ICI 118,551 increased LPS-induced production of IL-1(beta), whereas treatment with the alpha-adrenergic antagonists phentolamine or yohimbine decreased IL-1(beta). These findings demonstrate that adrenergic receptor antagonists unmask autocrine actions of macrophage-derived catecholamines on IL-1(beta) that may influence the inflammatory response.