title: Thymosin alpha 1 potentiates interleukin 2-induced cytotoxic activity in mice.
abstract: We have investigated the effects of interleukin 2 (IL-2) on cytotoxic activity of spleen lymphocytes, from normal and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) or B-16 melanoma suppressed mice, after in vitro or in vivo pretreatment with thymosin alpha 1 (TA1). The results of this study indicate that pretreatment in vitro (100 ng/ml for 1 hr) or in vivo (200 micrograms/kg/day for 4 days) with thymosin alpha 1 (TA1), significantly increased the IL-2 (from 100 to 500 U/ml) in vitro induced cytotoxic activity of spleen lymphocytes, collected from both normal and cyclophosphamide and tumor-suppressed animals, against both YAC-1 (NK sensitive) and MBL-2 (NK resistant) cell lines. The potential use in combination of these two different biological response modifiers, useful in enhancing the immunological responses to IL-2 of lymphocytes, may provide a novel model of immunotherapeutic intervention in cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mastino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Favalli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garaci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D013947:Thymosin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D000077596:Thymalfasin