Interleukin-6 and the soluble interleukin-6 receptor induce stem cell factor and Flt-3L expression in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract Objective We recently established transgenic animals expressing either interleukin-6 (IL-6) or the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) alone, or both components, IL-6 and the sIL-6R, in the liver. This animal model demonstrated that the expression of IL-6 in combination with its sIL-6R led to extramedullary expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells in the spleen and liver. Materials and Methods We studied other relevant hematopoietic cytokines involved in the IL-6/sIL-6R–induced stimulation of hematopoiesis. Results Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that cell-associated stem cell factor (SCF) and Flt-3L expression were upregulated in liver and spleen only in double transgenic mice…