Evidence for the production and action of interleukin-10 in pituitary cells.
1. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has a wide range of activities in the immune system such as modulation of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and antibody production. The neuropeptide hormone corticotropin (ACTH) has similar activities, suggesting that a bidirectional communication mechanism operates between the immune and the neuroendocrine system involving these two substances. 2. Murine pituitary tumor cells (AtT-20) were found to produce up to 3 ng/ml of IL-10. 3. Pituitary cell corticotropin production was enhanced by IL-10 treatment. 4. IL-10 induced the production of ACTH in mouse splenocytes. 5. Authenticity of pituitary-derived IL-10 was shown by the demonstration of identical nucleic acid sequences of reverse-transcribed, polymerase chain reaction amplified fragments of cDNA obtained from murine splenocytes, a murine pituitary tumor cell line, and freshly isolated murine pituitaries.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
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Hughes
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Rady
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Tyring
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Smith
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone