Analysis of the capacity to produce IL-3 in murine AIDS.
Adult C57BL/6 mice infected with LP-BM5 murine leukaemia virus represent a model of murine AIDS (MAIDS). In this study we have analysed the capacity of CD4+ T cells from infected mice to produce IL-3 following stimulation with ConA for 24-72 h. In contrast to the position with IL-2, the production of which is markedly impaired during LP-BM5 infection, similar levels of IL-3 were measured in culture supernatants of splenocytes from infected and uninfected mice harvested at 24 h of stimulation. Forty eight and 72 h of ConA stimulation led to increasing levels of IL-3 being measured in cultures from uninfected mice, whilst in cultures from infected animals, IL-3 levels remained stagnant. Similar results were obtained 4, 8 and 13 weeks post-infection. In view of the fact that parallel experiments revealed markedly impaired proliferative responses to ConA during MAIDS, we conclude that IL-3 production is basically intact at the cellular level in T cells during MAIDS; but when in a situation requiring clonal expansion of the activated T cells, IL-3 production will be inhibited owing to the impaired capacity for proliferation.
Neuenschwander
A U
AU
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Marker
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O
Thomsen
A R
AR
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D007377:Interleukin-3; D003208:Concanavalin A