title: 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 modulates the effects of interleukin 2 independent of IL-2 receptor binding.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) is a macrophage-derived cytokine and a potent inhibitor of IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production and T lymphocyte proliferation. The growth inhibitory effect of calcitriol is only partially reversed by IL-2 addition, suggesting IL-2 independent effects. In this report we characterize the IL-2-independent effects of calcitriol on lymphocyte activation. Calcitriol inhibited cellular transition from early to late G1 (G1A-G1B transition) in both the absence and presence of IL-2. Exogenous IL-2 did not increase either IFN-gamma production or transferrin receptor (TfR) expression in the presence of calcitriol despite increases in cell entry into late G1 and proliferation. Calcitriol treatment reduced TfR expression by activated T lymphocytes independent of their location in the cell cycle, further suggesting its independence from IL-2-mediated events. Combinations of rIL-2 and rIL-4 did not reverse calcitriol-dependent inhibition of proliferation and TfR expression to any greater degree than rIL-2 alone. Northern blot analysis demonstrated the decrease in IFN-gamma and TfR mRNA accumulation with calcitriol treatment was unaffected by exogenous IL-2. In contrast, IL-2R mRNA and protein were increased by IL-2, with superinduction in the presence of calcitriol, demonstrating that the lack of effect on IFN-gamma and TfR was not due to IL-2 insensitivity. Moreover, equivalent numbers of high-affinity IL-2R were expressed by both control and calcitriol-treated T lymphoblasts. Thus, lectin-activated T lymphocyte responsiveness to IL-2, as measured by IL-2R expression and proliferation, can be partly to completely dissociated from IFN-gamma production and TfR expression in the presence of calcitriol. Finally, IL-2-induced proliferation of unstimulated mononuclear cells and purified T lymphocytes was inhibited by calcitriol. These data indicate that local production of calcitriol by activated macrophages is capable of regulating T lymphocyte activation not only through suppression of IL-2 production, but also through additional mechanism(s), that are mediated at a post-IL-2R level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, New Hampshire 03756.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Rigby
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Waugh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002117:Calcitriol; D015232:Dinoprostone