Differential regulation of IL-6 gene transcription and expression by IL-4 and IL-10 in human monocytic cell lines

IL-4 and IL-10 inhibit the cytokine production and mRNA expression by monocytes/macrophages. To investigate the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory effect on transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of IL-6 gene expression by IL-4 and IL-10, we studied IL-6 production, expression level of IL-6 mRNA, IL-6 promoter activity, transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB and NF-IL-6, and IL-6 mRNA stability in human monocytic cell lines, THP-1 and U937, stimulated by PMA and LPS in the absence or the presence of IL-4 or IL-10. Both IL-4 and IL-10 were seen to inhibit IL-6 production and the expression of IL-6 mRNA in both monocytic cell lines studied. In chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays, utilizing the transient transfection of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmid containing the IL-6 gene promoter, IL-4, but not IL-10, suppressed the transcriptional activity of the IL-6 gene promoter stimulated by PMA and LPS. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that IL-4, but not IL-10, inhibited nuclear NF-kappaB activity, and that IL-4 and IL-10 did not affect NF-IL-6 activity. On the other hand, IL-10 enhanced the degradation of IL-6 mRNA in a mRNA stability assay. These results suggest that IL-4 may inhibit the transcription of the IL-6 gene by affecting NF-kappaB binding activity, while IL-10 may inhibit the IL-6 mRNA levels post-transcriptionally, without suppressing promoter activity. Therefore, we conclude that IL-4 and IL-10 inhibit IL-6 production by different mechanisms in human monocytic cell lines.