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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Differentiation of the SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line
Published on: February 17, 2016
Dopamine induces TNFalpha and TNF-R1 expression in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells
Cristina Gómez-Santos1, Roser Francisco, Pol Giménez-Xavier
1Biochemistry Unit, Department of Physiological Sciences II, University of Barcelona - IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Cytotoxic concentrations of dopamine (100-500 microM DA) induce expression of tumour necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. TNFalpha expression is dose-dependent and can also be detected after 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP) treatment. The expression of TNF-R1 is also dose-dependent, but was not observed in 6-OHDA or MPP-treatment. Cells not expressing TNF-R1 were insensitive to TNFalpha, whereas those treated with DA showed a further decrease in viability when subsequently treated with TNFalpha. Thus, DA treatment confers sensitivity to TNFalpha. The decrease of cell viability caused by DA was in part prevented by neutralizing TNFalpha with anti-TNFalpha. As TNF-R1 is increased in substantia nigra of Parkinsonian brains, we suggest that nonvesiculated DA might also play a role in inducing TNF-R1 expression and predispose the neuron to the action of cytokines released in a microglia-mediated inflammatory response.
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