Expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and -beta transcripts in embryonal carcinoma and trophoblast cell lines: inflammation-like state as possible regulatory mechanism for ontogenesis.

TNF-alpha and TNF-beta are both involved in inflammation which regulates homeostasis in adults. We examined the mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta in murine embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell lines (PCC3, PCC4, ECA2 and F9) and trophoblast cell line (PL/B6) using a combined system of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. Four lines of EC cells and PL/B6 expressed mRNA of both TNFs. Moreover, mRNA expression of two types of TNF-receptor and transcription factor NF-kappa B, both of which mediate a part of the biological function of TNFs, were also detected in EC and trophoblast cells. In order to clarify whether other cytokines may form a network during embryonal development, we also examined the expression of transcripts of inflammatory cytokines produced by activated macrophages (IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta and G-CSF) or by T lymphocytes (IL-3 and IFN-gamma) in adult. We found that no IL-1 alpha transcript was expressed in any of the cell lines examined whether differentiated or not. Contrary to this, the transcript of G-CSF was continuously expressed in all cell lines, and those of IL-1 beta, IL-3 and IFN-gamma were slightly expressed in some cell lines.