Does nephrectomy enhance interleukin 6 secretion by interleukin 1-stimulated mesangial cells in vitro?
Mesangial cells from single remaining kidneys in culture maintain an exaggerated capacity to produce IL-6 in response to IL-1. IL-6 was reported to enhance or inhibit mesangial cell proliferation in vitro. We suggest that the local over production of IL-6 by a single remaining kidney may play a role in regulating a sequence of physiological events in compensatory renal growth, initially stimulating mesangial cell proliferation and later blunting the process.
Our data provide evidence that healthy pregnant women developing postpartum depressive symptoms might already be identified during pregnancy by means of their higher cortisol reactivity and their higher psychological reactivity in response to psychosocial stress. Further investigations are required to explore whether higher psychobiological stress responses not only precede depressive symptoms within 2 weeks after birth, but might also predict postpartum major depression.