Two inhibitors of pro-inflammatory cytokine release, interleukin-10 and interleukin-4, have contrasting effects on release of soluble p75 tumor necrosis factor receptor by cultured monocytes.
The biological activity of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha depends on the level of TNF-alpha itself, the expression of the p55 and p75 cell surface receptors for TNF on target cells and the concentrations of the natural inhibitors of TNF-alpha, the soluble p55 and p75 TNF receptors (TNF-R). Interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-4 are known to inhibit TNF-alpha production by monocytes. We, therefore, investigated the effects of IL-10 and IL-4 on the cell surface expression and release of TNF-R by human monocytes to determine whether these cytokines also indirectly modulated the biological activity of TNF-alpha. Exposure to IL-10 (1-10 U/ml) for 24 or 48 h increased soluble p75 TNF-R expression and concomitantly reduced surface expression of p75 TNF-R. Further, IL-1 alpha-stimulated production of TNF-alpha was diminished by IL-10 and only a small proportion of this TNF-alpha was bioactive, consistent with increased production of inhibitory soluble TNF-R. IL-10 also induced down-regulation of surface p55 TNF-R on monocytes, and increased release of soluble p55 TNF-R. However, the expression of soluble p55 TNF-R was much lower than soluble p75 TNF-R, indicating that it contributed less importantly to neutralization of TNF-alpha under these conditions. Like IL-10, IL-4 supressed the release of TNF-alpha by monocytes. In contrast to IL-10, however, IL-4 (0.1-10 ng/ml) supressed the release of soluble p75 TNF-R from monocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Release of soluble p55 TNF-R was also supressed by IL-4. IL-10, therefore, reduces the pro-inflammatory potential of TNF in three ways: by down-regulating surface TNF-R expression whilst increasing production of soluble TNF-R and inhibiting the release of TNF-alpha itself. This suggests that IL-10 may be useful in the treatment of diseases where overexpression of TNF-alpha occurs.
Joyce
D A
DA
Department of Pharmacology, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Perth.
Gibbons
D P
DP
Green
P
P
Steer
J H
JH
Feldmann
M
M
Brennan
F M
FM
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4