Post-transcriptional regulation of immunomodulatory cytokines production in human skin fibroblasts by intense mechanical stresses.

We found that extremely high hydrostatic pressure stresses induced a variety of cytokines production in normal human dermal fibroblasts. Normal human dermal fibroblasts were found to survive and were active in producing interleukin (IL) -6, -8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) under extremely high hydrostatic pressure, up to 70 MPa (=690.8 atm=713.8 kgf/cm2). 70 MPa pressure application extremely enhanced IL-6 and IL-8 secretions (about 130 folds) without transcriptional enhancement. Although induction of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-12 mRNAs was appeared under high hydrostatic pressure condition, no translation of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-12 proteins was found. Extracellular accumulation of constitutively produced MCP-1 was down regulated in the pressure-applied fibroblasts in the absence of transcriptional repression. These results indicated that hydrostatic pressure stresses triggered post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms that modulated the cytokines production.