title: Potentiation of interleukin-2 activity by levamisole and imidazole.
abstract: Levamisole, a known antihelminthic drug, was able to affect IL-2 dependent proliferation of several T lymphocyte clones. Although levamisole did not replace IL-2 and had no effect at saturating IL-2 concentrations, it reduced by 2- to 4-fold the dose of IL-2 required to give 50% of the maximal DNA synthesis, the optimal concentration of levamisole being between 1 to 3 X 10(-4) M. This effect of levamisole was not due to an alteration of the kinetics of thymidine incorporation. Imidazole and other imidazole ring containing compounds, but not thiol-containing compounds, had similar effects to those of levamisole, suggesting a role of the imidazole ring in the potentiation of IL-2 activity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007978:Levamisole / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007978:Levamisole; C029899:imidazole; D004247:DNA