The effect of high and low ambient temperatures on PGE2 and TNF-alpha production by rat glial brain cultures.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of changes in incubation temperature on PGE(2) and TNF-alpha production by rat glial brain cultures after LPS stimulation. One-hour incubation at temperatures of 4 degrees C, 37 degrees C, 39 degrees C and 42 degrees C were used. Treatment of cultures with 10 microg/ml LPS from Escherichia coli caused a significant elevation of PGE(2) production 24 h after incubation at control temperatures of 37 degrees C and the experimental temperatures of 4 degrees C, 39 degrees C and 42 degrees C. While high ambient temperatures of 39 degrees C and 42 degrees C reduced LPS-stimulated production, compared to exposure to 37 degrees C, exposure to 4 degrees C did not do so. On the other hand, exposure of the cultures to a temperature of 39 degrees C and 42 degrees C for 1 h did not alter LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha production, while exposure to a temperature of 4 degrees C significantly reduced this elevation.