Mechanism of suppression of nitric oxide synthase expression by interleukin-4 in primary mouse macrophages.
Nitric oxide (NO) contributes to the antitumor, antimicrobial, and immunosuppressive activity of macrophages. An inducible form of NO synthase (iNOS) is responsible for high output generation of nitric oxide by macrophages after stimulation with cytokines and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In the present study, we demonstrate that interleukin 4 (IL-4) suppressed production of NO by primary mouse peritoneal macrophages exposed to IFN-gamma with or without LPS, even while synergizing with IFN-gamma to increase the secretion of TNF-alpha. Suppression of NO production was paralleled by decreases in iNOS enzyme activity and iNOS antigen. IL-4 did not inhibit induction of iNOS mRNA 4-6 h after exposure to IFN-gamma, but strongly reduced iNOS mRNA at later times of stimulation (24-72 h), without increasing its turnover. The conditions for maximal suppression of iNOS expression by IL-4 and the mechanisms of suppression differed from those determined in parallel for transforming growth-factor-beta as described elsewhere. These results illustrate the diversity of phenotypes of macrophages deactivated by different cytokines, and demonstrate that IL-4 has the potential to reduce one component of the anti-tumor, antimicrobial, and immunosuppressive activities of macrophages.
Bogdan
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Beatrice and Samuel A. Seaver Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
Vodovotz
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Paik
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J
Xie
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QW
Nathan
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C
D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases