title: Interleukin 4 as an essential factor for in vitro clonal growth of murine connective tissue-type mast cells.
abstract: We investigated the biological activity of IL-4 to murine connective tissue-type mast cells (CTMC). When purified peritoneal mast cells, typical CTMC, were incubated with pokeweed mitogen-stimulated spleen cell-conditioned medium (PWM-SCM) in methylcellulose, about one-fifth of mast cells showed clonal growth. Recombinant IL-4 alone did not stimulate the clonal growth, and purified IL-3 alone induced development of a small number of tiny clusters. In contrast, addition of IL-4 to IL-3 increased the number of clusters by a factor of 10. The number and size of clusters induced by the combination of IL-3 and IL-4 were comparable to those of mast cell clusters induced by PWM-SCM. The present results indicate that IL-4 is an essential factor for in vitro clonal growth of CTMC.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003239:Connective Tissue Cells; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D007377:Interleukin-3; D008222:Lymphokines; D015847:Interleukin-4