title: Induction of lymphokine-activated killer cells from rat thymocytes using recombinant human interleukin-2.
abstract: Using a 4-h 51Cr release assay, we observed that thymocytes from Fischer strain rats incubated with recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) developed cytotoxicity to YAC-1 lymphoma, 9L-glioma, and B-16 melanoma cells (effector/target ratio = 25/1). Induction of the lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells was as follows: (1) when 5 x 10(6)/ml thymocytes were cultured with various concentrations of rhIL-2 (50, 125, 250, 500, or 1,000 units/ml) for 4 days, no cell proliferation was observed at any concentration. However, the LAK cells showed significant cytotoxicity toward all tumor cells at more than 50 units/ml. (2) When 5 x 10(6)/ml thymocytes were cultured for 1 to 6 days with 250 units/ml of rhIL-2, the harvested cell count decreased markedly after the 2nd day. The cytotoxicity of all the tumor cells became significant after the 2nd day, with peak activity on the 4th day. In rat splenocytes, on the other hand, the LAK cells could not be identified because rat splenocytes developed nonspecific cytotoxicity in medium containing fetal calf serum without adding rhIL-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imaya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins