title: The role of interferon alpha/beta in the induction of intestinal pathology in mice.
abstract: We have investigated the role of interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and IFN-dependent effector cells in causing enteropathy in mice. The IFN-inducer polyinosinic:polycytydylic acid (poly I:C) augmented the natural killer (NK) cell activation normally seen in neonatal (CBA x BALB/c)F1 mice with graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) and exacerbated the systemic and intestinal consequences of GVHR. Poly I:C itself produced a similar pattern of intestinal pathology when administered to normal mice. The effects of poly I:C on NK cell activity and intestinal architecture in normal mice could be reproduced by a single injection of purified IFN-alpha/beta and the intestinal lesions caused by IFN-alpha/beta were prevented by in vivo depletion of NK cells with anti-asialo GM1. These results indicate that IFN-alpha/beta may play an important role in immunologically mediated enteropathies by virtue of its ability to activate NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Glasgow, Western Infirmary.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garside
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Felstein
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mowat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011070:Poly I-C