Cardiotrophin-1 inhibits tumor necrosis factor production in the heart and serum of lipopolysaccharide-treated mice and in vitro in mouse blood cells.

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a member of the gp130 family of cytokines that includes interleukin-6, interleukin-11, ciliary neurotrophic factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, and oncostatin M. As interleukin-6, leukemia inhibitory factor, and ciliary neurotrophic factor were previously reported to inhibit the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), we studied the effect of CT-1 on serum and heart TNF levels in mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/mouse, iv). Co-treatment with CT-1 (5 micrograms/mouse intravenously) markedly inhibit TNF production both in serum and in the heart. The effect of CT-1 seems to be direct as it also inhibited TNF production when added to whole mouse blood cultured with lipopolysaccharide. Thus, CT-1 might play a protective role in some TNF-mediated diseases.