The sphingomyelin–ceramide pathway participates in cytokine regulation of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A, but not α-fibrinogen

Abstract

Maximal induction of the acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) in the human hepatoma cell line Hep3B requires the combination of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1. In contrast, IL-1 inhibits fibrinogen induction by IL-6. To explore the possible participation of the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway in the transduction of cytokine effects, the role of this pathway in expression of CRP, SAA and α-fibrinogen was investigated. The cell-permeable ceramide analogues C2 and C6 each greatly potentiated induction of both CRP and SAA mRNA by IL-6+IL-1β but did not affect the responses of α-fibrinogen to IL-6 or to IL-6+IL-1β. The combination of IL-6+IL-1β led to increased turnover of sphingomyelin in Hep3B cells. D609, an inhibitor of ceramide production by acidic but not neutral sphingomyelinases, substantially inhibited induction of CRP and SAA by IL-6+IL-1β. The ability of C2 and C6 to potentiate the effects of cytokines suggests that the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway participates in induction of CRP and SAA by IL-6+IL-1β under these experimental conditions, most likely by transducing the effects of IL-1β. C2 and C6 were unable to substitute for IL-1β in enhancing IL-6 effects on CRP and SAA, consistent with other reports indicating that the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway is only a single component of multiple necessary converging pathways for induction of many genes. In contrast, this pathway does not appear to participate in mediating the inhibitory effects of IL-1β on fibrinogen induction by IL-6.