RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA AND TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR AFFECT GLYCOSYLATION OF SERUM ALPHA-1-ACID GLYCOPROTEIN IN RATS

Serum concentration and glycosylation of rat alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (alpha-1-AGP) were evaluated after the in vivo administration of recombinant human interleukin-1-beta (rhIL-1-beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (rhTNF-alpha), alone or associated. The effect of LPS and turpentine was also studied. In all models, serum alpha-1-AGP concentrations were increased and glycosylation was altered. The alpha-1-AGP levels reached 1.8 g/liter with cytokines alone, 2.1 g/liter with cytokines associated or LPS, and 3.4 g/liter with turpentine. Analysis by concanavalin A (Con A) affinoimmunoelectrophoresis (CAIE) revealed that the relative proportion of Con A unreactive form always decreased whatever the inducing agent. On the other hand, the resulting effect on the concentrations of Con A unreactive alpha-1-AGP concentrations was an increase with cytokines alone or LPS and a decrease with cytokines associated or turpentine. These results suggest a dissociation between the alteration in the level of alpha-1-AGP synthesis and in the pattern of its glycosylation in the various inflammatory models.