title: Histamine augments interleukin-2 production and the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
abstract: Histamine (0.5 g/kg) was found to augment the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo, if injected in the late phase (day 4) of the response. The production of interleukin-2 in concanavalin A-activated spleen cell cultures was also strongly augmented by 1 X 10(-2) M histamine or by a combination of 2 X 10(-3) M histamine and histaminase (diamine oxidase). This suggests the possibility that the augmentation in vivo is mediated by the oxidized histamine derivative imidazolylacetaldehyde, since diamine oxidase occurs in many tissues. The interleukin-2-dependent proliferation of a T cell clone, on the other hand, was not affected by histamine with or without diamine oxidase. The experiments suggest that histamine supports the late phase of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response by augmenting the interleukin-2 production.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002999:Clone Cells; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D006632:Histamine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide