Lymphokine research最新文献

To clarify which cytokines could potentially be produced by astrocytes, we have assessed the presence of mRNA for a number of cytokines in astrocyte-enriched brain cultures. The cultures were derived from neonatal murine brain and were treated with either interferon-gamma, lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or infected with murine cytomegalovirus. RNA was extracted at 0, 4, 24 and 48 hours post treatment. A DNA copy of total cytoplasmic RNA was synthesised and specific cDNA amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and detected by hybridization with specific probes. The following cytokines were studied: IL3, IL4, IL6, TNF alpha, TGF beta, LIF, G-CSF, M-CSF and GM-CSF. Transcripts for TGF beta, IL6, LIF and M-CSF were present constitutively but increased with stimulation, whereas transcripts for TNF alpha, IL6, GM-CSF, G-CSF and LIF were detected only after stimulation. Messenger RNA for IL3 and IL4 was not detected. The magnitude and kinetics of the induction varied according to the cytokine and the stimulus. These results indicate the possibility of intra-cerebral production of a number of cytokines that may play a role in the clearance of viral or bacterial pathogens and in the generation of neuropathology.

Human tonsillar B lymphocytes proliferate in vitro after activation with immobilized anti-IgM antibodies in combination with interleukin 2 (IL-2) or interleukin 4 (IL-4). In addition to its proliferative effects, IL-4 is also able to inhibit B cell proliferation. An explanation for these different actions of the same protein is not as yet available. The susceptibility to the inhibitory action of IL-4 emerges at late time points after in vitro activation of the B cells, whereas IL-4 shows its growth promoting action during early stages of culture, indicating that activated IL-2 responsive B cells are the targets for IL-4 dependent inhibition. Freshly isolated tonsillar B lymphocytes also appear to be susceptible to IL-4 dependent suppression. Isotonic Percoll gradient centrifugation, that has been used by several groups as a standard procedure to isolate high density, resting used by several groups as a standard procedure to isolate high density, resting cells from tonsil B lymphocytes, does not result in separation of B cells with different in vitro proliferative response to IL-2 and IL-4. However, partial separation of cells with "resting" and "activated" phenotypes can be achieved by centrifugation in slightly hypotonic Percoll gradients. High-density fractions contain cells with a "resting" phenotype which after in vitro activation proliferate with IL-4 but not with IL-2. "Activated" B cells accumulate in the low-density fractions as concluded from the increased expression of transferrin receptors and HLA-DR molecules on these cells. However, these cells no longer proliferate in vitro with immobilized anti-IgM antibodies, possibly due to damage caused by the hypotonic treatment during centrifugation. Our data indicate that resting B cells when activated in vitro with immobilized anti-IgM antibodies proliferate primarily with IL-4 but not with IL-2. In contrast, about 15 hours after activation the cells become responsive to IL-2. At that stage, IL-4 becomes an inhibitory factor.

High affinity receptors for recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rhTNF-alpha) were identified on membranes prepared from full term human placenta. Highly purified rhTNF-alpha iodinated by the iodogen method was found to bind placental membranes in a displaceable manner with an approximate dissociation constant (KD) of 1.9 nM. The membrane bound TNF-alpha receptor could be solubilized by several detergents with optimum extraction being obtained with 1% Triton X-100. The binding of 125I-rhTNF-alpha to the solubilized receptor was found to be time and temperature dependent, yielding maximum binding within 1 h, 24 h and 48 h at 37 degrees C, 24 degrees C and 4 degrees C, respectively. However, the maximum binding obtainable at 4 degrees C was only 40% of that at 37 degrees C. The binding 125I-rhTNF-alpha to solubilized placental membrane extracts was displaceable by unlabeled rhTNF-alpha, but not by a related protein recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-beta (rhTNF-beta; previously called lymphotoxin). This is similar to the behavior of TNF-alpha receptors derived from detergent-solubilized cell extracts, although on intact cells, both rhTNF-alpha and rhTNF-beta bind with equal affinity to TNF receptors. The Scatchard analysis of the binding data of the solubilized receptor revealed high affinity binding sites with a KD of approximately 0.5 nM and a receptor concentration of about 1 pmole/mg protein. Gel filtration of the solubilized receptor-ligand complexes on Sephacryl S-300 revealed two different peaks of radioactivity at approximate molecular masses of 50,000 Da and 400,000 Da. The 400,000 dalton peak corresponded to the receptor-ligand complex. Overall, our results suggest that high affinity receptors for TNF-alpha are present on human placental membranes and provide evidence that these receptors may be different from that of rhTNF-beta.

We previously established a monoclonal antibody, TU11 mAb, which is specific for human IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) beta chain (p75) and does not inhibit IL-2-binding to IL-2R beta. Using TU11 mAb, we first demonstrated the existence of a third component, p64, of IL-2R, tentatively named the gamma chain of IL-2R. TU11 mAb precipitated not only the beta chain but also the alpha and gamma chains in the lysates of cells bearing the high-affinity IL-2R in the presence of IL-2 without any chemical crosslinker. The gamma chain was also detected in lymphoid MOLT alpha beta and MOLT beta cells, which were stably transfected with both alpha and beta cDNA, and with beta cDNA alone, respectively, but not in fibroblastoid COS alpha beta and COS beta cells, which were stably transfected with both alpha and beta cDNA, and with beta cDNA alone, respectively. Furthermore, IL-2-mediated growth signals were transduced in the lymphoid transfectant cells but not in the fibroblastoid transfectant cells, suggesting the possibility that the gamma chain along with the beta chain has an essential role in the transduction of IL-2-mediated growth signals. Using TU11 mAb, we secondly demonstrated that IL-2 rapidly induces tyrosine phosphorylation of both the beta and gamma chains in an IL-2-dose-dependent manner. The tyrosine phosphorylation of beta and gamma chains were also detected in the lymphoid transfectant cells but not in the fibroblastoid transfectant cells, indicating the correlation between tyrosine kinase activation and IL-2-mediated growth signaling. The beta chain was phosphorylated in in vitro on serine, threonine and tyrosine residues, but the gamma chain was phosphorylated in in vitro predominantly on tyrosine residues, suggesting the possibility that the gamma chain itself is a tyrosine kinase molecule.

Previous in vitro studies suggest that the interleukin-1 (IL-1) proteins may be important for skin function. Keratinocytes are known to synthesize IL-1 in response to injury and IL-1 has been shown to stimulate fibroblast and keratinocyte growth, collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, and chemotaxis of keratinocytes. In order to evaluate the ability of IL-1 to enhance wound healing, recombinant human IL-1 alpha was applied topically in a water-miscible cream to partial thickness wounds made on the backs of pathogen-free adult pigs. The wounded site was excised at various times for assessment of epidermal regeneration. This study shows a statistically significant enhancement of healing of the IL-1-treated wounds compared with either air-exposed or vehicle-treated wounds. Histologic examination of biopsies from IL-1-treated wounds indicated complete and architecturally normal epidermal regeneration. Porcine keratinocytes and membranes prepared from porcine skin were found to possess high affinity receptors for human IL-1 alpha. This study suggests that topical administration of IL-1 may be useful for the promotion of wound healing.

There is evidence that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may be a proliferation and differentiation factor for B lymphocytes. We found that three of four lymphoblastoid cell lines (ADD, IM-9, W1) secreted TNF-beta and expressed TNF receptors, whereas one pre-B cell leukemia and six Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines had no detectable TNF secretion and, except for one Burkitt's cell line (LOU), very low expression of TNF receptors. When IM-9, W1 or LOU cells were cultured over seven days in the presence of either TNF-alpha or antiserum to TNF-beta there was no difference between their growth rate, endogenous TNF-beta secretion or immunoglobulin secretion compared to untreated cells. These findings indicate that TNF does not have a universal role as an autocrine growth factor in transformed B lymphocytes.

In order to segregate multiple activities ascribed to IL-1, various human IL-1 alpha derivatives were produced by recombinant DNA technology. A derivative substituted at the 151st Asp with Tyr(termed to be TN-55) showed unique characteristics. TN-55 lost the PGE2 inducing activity in a human osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) and growth promoting activity for a human dermal fibroblast cell line (CCD-27Sk), but partially remained LAF activity in mouse thymocyte, cytostatic activity against a human melanoma cell line (A-375) and IL-2 inducing activity in a human T cell line (HSB.2). Although TN-55 bound to the receptor on MG-63 cells with a similar affinity as native IL-1 alpha, TN-55 not only failed in inducing PGE2 production but also antagonized the PGE2 inducing action of IL-1 alpha or IL-1 beta. Thus, TN-55 seems to work as a receptor antagonist. Moreover, TN-55 did not stimulate ACTH secretion in rats in vivo. On the other hand, TN-55 induced PGE2 production in a rabbit dermal fibroblast cell line (RAB-9) and exhibited pyrogenicity in rabbits in vivo. These data suggest that TN-55 has different species-cross reactivity from native IL-1 alpha. In conclusion, multiple biological activities of IL-1 alpha can be segregated by substituting one amino acid. TN-55 may be an ideal IL-1 agonist which lacks inflammatory characteristics of IL-1 (e.g. PGE2-dependent activities) in human but partially retained T lymphocyte stimulating activity and tumor cytostatic activity. In addition, TN-55 may also work as an IL-1 antagonist to block PGE2 production induced by IL-1 through receptor competition.

We investigated whether TNF-beta could induce or modulate TNF-alpha gene expression in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. For these experiments, lymphocytes were cultured in serum-free medium for 48 hours with human recombinant TNF-beta in the presence or absence of human recombinant IL-2. At the end of the culture period, total cellular RNA was isolated and probed for TNF-alpha mRNA using an S1 nuclease protection assay. TNF-beta alone was unable to induce lymphocyte TNF-alpha mRNA. However, when TNF-beta was used in combination with IL-2 an 8- to 12-fold increase in TNF-alpha mRNA compared to lymphocytes activated in IL-2 alone was observed. Secreted TNF-alpha was measured in the culture supernatants by TNF-alpha specific ELISA. Consistent with the results of mRNA analysis, TNF-beta alone did stimulate TNF-alpha secretion, but lymphocytes activated with TNF-beta/IL-2 demonstrated a 3- to 10-fold increase in secreted TNF-alpha over that induced by IL-2 alone. These experiments demonstrate that TNF-beta can participate in the upregulation of TNF-alpha gene expression in lymphocytes and suggest that cellular dysregulations involving autocrine TNF production may be exacerbated by this positive feedback pathway.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the incubation of human blood monocytes with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) induces tumoricidal activity. Peripheral blood monocytes isolated by centrifugal elutriation from buffy coats of healthy donors were incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopeptide derived from Escherichia coli (CGP-31362), recombinant human interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) plus muramyl dipeptide (MDP) or recombinant human TNF for 24 hr. The human melanoma A375-M (highly sensitive to TNF), A375-P (moderately sensitive to TNF), and A375-R (resistant to TNF) cells were all lysed in vitro by monocytes activated with LPS, CGP-31362, or MDP plus rIFN-gamma. On the other hand, A375-M, but not A375-P or A375-R cells, were lysed by human monocytes incubated with rTNF. After incubation with rTNF, paraformaldehyde-fixed monocytes lysed A375-M cells. Monocytes incubated with LPS, CGP-31362, and MDP plus rIFN-gamma secreted a high level of IL-1 activity into the culture medium, but monocytes incubated with rTNF did not. The cytolytic activities of monocytes incubated with LPS, CGP-31362, and MDP plus rIFN-gamma were not affected by the presence of anti-TNF antiserum, whereas the lysis of A375-M cells by monocytes incubated with rTNF was completely abolished by the presence of anti-TNF antiserum. We conclude that exogenous TNF does not render blood monocytes tumoricidal, but rather that TNF bound to cell-surface receptors can produce lysis of TNF-sensitive cells by a "carryover" mechanism.