title: A change in monokine requirements for proliferation during thymocyte maturation: co-stimulating activity of interleukin 6 in the proliferation of LYT2- and L3T4- thymocytes.
abstract: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) were compared as to their ability to induce the proliferation of distinct thymocyte subpopulations. IL-6 functions as a costimulator in IL-1- or IL-2-induced proliferation of adult double-negative (DN) thymocytes, whereas IL-6 alone failed to induce a significant level of proliferation. However, IL-6 alone induced significant proliferation of mature cortisone-resistant thymocytes, whereas IL-1 did not. Instead, IL-1 functioned as a co-stimulator in IL-6-induced proliferation of mature thymocytes. Finally, both IL-6 and IL-1 were capable of potentiating IL-2-induced proliferation of fetal DN thymocytes. These data suggest that the monokine requirements in thymocyte activation may vary during thymocyte maturation and that IL-6, when compared to IL-1, has a distinct effect on the proliferation of thymocytes.
authors.affiliation: Basic Research Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamuro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins