Effect of interleukin-11 on the levels of mRNAs encoding heme oxygenase and haptoglobin in human HepG2 hepatoma cells.

Effect of recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) on the expression of transcripts encoding microsomal heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, and haptoglobin (Hpt), a major acute-phase protein, were examined in human HepG2 hepatoma cells. Treatment of HepG2 cells with rhIL-11 elicited an increase in HO mRNA in a dose- and a time-dependent fashion. The dose response curve, its magnitude of response and its time course were similar to those observed with recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6). In contrast, rhIL-11 had a far smaller effect on the level of Hpt mRNA than did rhIL-6. These findings demonstrate that the two cytokines are similar in regulating heme catabolism, while markedly different in inducing certain acute-phase proteins.