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Reduced Basal Levels and Enhanced LPS Response of IL-6 mRNA in Aged Mice

^a Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Community and Environmental Medicine, University of California, Irvine

Stephen C. Bondy, Department of Community & Environmental Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1825 E-mail: scbondy{at}uci.edu.

Decision Editor: John A. Faulkner, PhD

Senescence is a complex and multifactorial process that may predispose organisms to altered responses to environmental stressors. The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is expressed by a variety of cells and is one of the earliest mediators of the acute inflammatory response. In this study, the level of IL-6 mRNA in younger (7 months) and old (23 months) mice was determined in the tissue of several organs with or without stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Whereas younger animals had a basal expression of IL-6 mRNA in all organs, this was undetectable in the old animals. In contrast, when the mice were injected with LPS, in a majority of the organ tissues there was a robust stimulation of IL-6 mRNA in the old mice whereas the younger animals had a more variable response. These data indicate that the aging process may predispose animals to an exaggerated and potentially harmful inflammatory response.

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