Characterization of interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 production by hepatic endothelial cells and macrophages.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) derived from Kupffer cells are major inducers of hepatic inflammation and the acute phase response. The present studies demonstrate that liver endothelial cells also produce significant quantities of IL-1 and IL-6, suggesting that these cells also participate in these processes. Endothelial cells and macrophages were isolated from female Sprague-Dawley rats by combined collagenase and pronase perfusion of the liver followed by centrifugal elutriation. In the absence of stimulation, endothelial cells were found to spontaneously produce IL-1 and IL-6 in a time-dependent manner, reaching maximal levels after 10 h in culture for IL-1 and 6-8 h for IL-6. The amount and kinetics of cytokine production by hepatic endothelial cells were similar to those observed with Kupffer cells. In further studies, the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent liver macrophage activator and inflammatory agent, on cytokine release were analyzed. Treatment of rats with LPS resulted in a decrease in IL-1 release by both cell types compared to cells from untreated animals. In contrast, LPS treatment had no major effect on IL-6 release. We also found that both macrophages and endothelial cells could be induced to produce additional IL-1 and IL-6 by treatment with LPS in vitro, but only if they were preincubated for at least 24 h prior to stimulation with LPS and analyzed for cytokine release. These data demonstrate that liver endothelial cells, like Kupffer cells, have the capacity to produce immunoregulatory and proinflammatory cytokines.