Cardiac myocytes release leukocyte-stimulating factors

The production of cytokines directly from cardiac myocytes has not been previously demonstrated and could represent an important mechanism and site of intervention in ischemia and reperfusion injuries. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP) are chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) that stimulate polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes, respectively. Endothelium has been implicated as being a major cellular source of leukocyte-activating factors. We hypothesized that the myocardial cells may also play an important role in producing chemokines independently of endothelium. Primary cultures of adult rat ventricular myocytes were prepared. Cultured myocytes were stimulated with either interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MIP-2 and MCP mRNA were expressed in adult rat myocytes following stimulation. Our studies indicate that ventricular myocytes expressed chemokine mRNA and protein in both a dose- and time-dependent fashion. MIP-2 and MCP release, determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was biologically active, accounting for approximately 40% of the PMN and monocyte chemotactic activity produced by these cells. These results suggest that cardiac myocytes may directly recruit activated leukocytes into areas of injury. Such a recruiting process could underlie the migration of leukocytes into areas of oxidant stress and play a role in development of reperfusion injury of myocardium.