OBJECTIVE There is a close correlation between interleukin-6 （IL-6） and malignant proliferation of gliomas. We investigated the effect of bradykinin on the expression of IL-6 in C6 glioma cells. METHODS Semi-quantitive RT-PCR and radioimmunoassay were used to examine the effect of bradykinin on the expression of IL-6 in C6 glioma cells and on the level of IL-6 in the culture medium. RESULTS Using semi-quantitive RT-PCR, the expression of IL-6 mRNA was examined in C6 glioma cells at 0, 5, 10,15, 30, 60 rain following addition of 1μmol/L bradykinin. There was no statistical difference in expression of IL-6 mRNA between the treatment and control groups （P〉0.05） and IL-6 was not detected in the cell culture medium. CONCLUSION Within an hour, IL-6 expression in C6 glioma cells is not induced by bradykinin, suggesting that its clinical application may be useful as a potential therapeutic agent for tumors of the central nervous system .
