Figure 1

IL-6 release from astrocytes, microglia and mixed glial cultures.

(a) ELISA analysis of MeHg-induced IL-6 release from astrocytes. MeHg^high (1 or 3 μM, 24 h) increased in the amount of IL-6 release from Rt astrocytes but not by MeHg^low (0.01 or 0.1 μM, 24 h) (n = 26, **p < 0.01, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). (b) Microglia released no IL-6 in response to MeHg. At no concentration did Rt microglia monocultures show significant IL-6 release (n = 12, p > 0.05, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). (c) Rt microglia/astrocyte mixed cultures showed IL-6 release in response to both MeHg^low and MeHg^high (0.01–3 μM) (n = 8, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. control, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). For evaluating IL-6 production from glial cell cultures, the cells were serum starved for 24 h before MeHg stimulation. (d) Conditioned media from mixed glial cultures showed a neuroprotective effect on primary cortical neurons against MeHg. Reduced neuronal viability evoked by MeHg^low (0.1 μM, 48 h) was restored by MACM (n = 4–8, **p < 0.01 vs. no treatment group; ^##p < 0.01 vs. MeHg^low, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). Without MeHg, MACM did not affect basal neuronal viability. Values are the means ± SEM for all groups.