In vivo recombinant interleukin 2 administration enhances survival against a lethal challenge with Toxoplasma gondii.
Administration of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL 2) resulted in a significant (p less than 0.01) decrease in mortality in mice infected with a dose of Toxoplasma gondii that killed 100% of untreated mice. Mice treated with rIL 2 had a significantly (less than 0.005) lower numbers of cysts in the brains. The protection afforded by rIL 2 could not be correlated with increased antibody synthesis or be explained by increased macrophage killing in the treated mice. Mice treated with rIL 2 after Toxoplasma infection demonstrated increased natural killer (NK) cell activity compared with either Toxoplasma-infected or rIL 2-treated mice. rIL 2 failed to reverse the suppressed proliferative response of lymphocytes to concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in mice acutely infected with a virulent strain of T. gondii. These results reveal that rIL 2 may have a remarkably protective effect against intracellular parasites.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D003560:Cysts / Q000628:therapy; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins