title: Nonspecific stimulation of host defense by Corynebacterium kutscheri. III. Enhanced cytokine induction by the active moiety of C. kutscheri.
abstract: The present study was carried out to ascertain whether the active component of Corynebacterium kutscheri (CK-M) could stimulate host cells of mice to produce several cytokines. CK-M stimulated thioglycollate-induced peritoneal macrophages to produce interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) at concentrations of 1-100 ng/ml, and it also induced IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) as well as IL-6 production by splenocytes. Maximum production of each cytokine induced by CK-M was obtained at the following doses: IL-1 at 5 ng/ml, TNF-alpha at 50 ng/ml, IL-2 at 1 microgram/ml, IL-6 at 500 ng/ml and IFN-gamma at 750 ng/ml. In contrast, IL-4 was not produced to a significant extent by CK-M-stimulated splenocytes. Furthermore, when mice were intravenously injected with 20 micrograms of CK-M, IL-2 and IFN-gamma production by splenocytes, upon stimulation with either formalin-killed C. kutscheri or mitogens, was significantly higher on day 10 of treatment than on day 2. Additionally, the cytotoxicity to L929 cells of this serum from CK-M-treated mice increased with time, and the activity in the serum of day 10 was not abrogated by the antibody to TNF-alpha. Data obtained here indicate that CK-M may preferentially stimulate type-1 helper T cells to produce IL-2 and IFN-gamma, and that the enhanced cytokine production could contribute to the nonspecific resistance induced by C. kutscheri.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Nara Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamikaidou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiba
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma