Serum α2-macroglobulin and cytokine measurements in an acute inflammation model in rats

Abstract

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rat α2-macroglobulin (α2M) using a monoclonal antibody was developed, and used to measure α2M in sera from rats injected intramuscularly with turpentine oil as an inflammatory agent. The mean concentration of α2M gradually increased and peaked 2 days after the turpentine oil injection. The peak α2M concentration ranged from 2362–8472 µg/ml (mean 4531 µg/ml), which was 50–290 times higher than the pre-dosing levels of 23–61 µg/ml. In addition, interleukins (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and interferon (IFN)-γ were measured using commercial ELISA reagent kits. IL-6 and IL-8 increased and peaked 12 h after turpentine oil injection, the levels being 5–51 times and 2–38 times the pre-dosing ones, respectively. The concentrations of IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ in rats injected with turpentine oil did not change.