Elevation of cyclic AMP levels in astrocytes antagonizes cytokine-induced adhesion molecule expression

We have examined the effect of elevating cyclic AMP levels on cytokine-mediated enhancement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) gene expression by astrocytes. Treatment of astrocytes with the cyclic AMP mimetic dibutyryl-cyclic AMP, or the agonists norepinephrine, forskolin, prostaglandin E2, and cholera toxin alone had no effect on ICAM-1 or VCAM-1 mRNA gene expression. However, elevating cyclic AMP levels within the cells by these agents suppressed interleukin-1beta- and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced adhesion molecule expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. The phosphodiesterase type IV inhibitor, rolipram, was able to potentiate the inhibitory effect of forskolin on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 gene expression. Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced VCAM-1 mRNA levels by forskolin was partially due to enhanced degradation of VCAM-1 message, whereas the decay rates of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced ICAM-1 message and interleukin-1beta-induced ICAM-1/VCAM-1 message were not affected by forskolin treatment. These results demonstrate that the pathways used by interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha to induce adhesion molecule expression are antagonized by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated signaling pathways.