title: Interleukin 4 induces cultured monocytes/macrophages to form giant multinucleated cells.
abstract: Giant multinucleated cells (GMCs) are associated with granulomatous lesions that form in response to various infectious and noninfectious agents. The present study shows that mouse IL-4 induces the in vitro formation of GMCs by factor-dependent bone marrow and alveolar monocytes via cell fusion. GMCs appear 2 d after incubation of cell cultures with 20 U/ml or more of IL-4. Anti-IL-4 mAbs block the appearance of GMCs in these cultures, indicating that IL-4 acts directly on monocytes to promote fusion and does not secondarily induce the production of other soluble fusion factors. In soft agar cultures, IL-4 also causes the aggregation of macrophages and diminishes their migration. The role of IL-4 in a granulomatous inflammatory response is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, DNAX Research Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rennick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013535:Suspensions
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007377:Interleukin-3; D007378:Interleukins; D013535:Suspensions; D015847:Interleukin-4