title: Transforming growth factor beta abrogates the effects of hematopoietins on eosinophils and induces their apoptosis.
abstract: Hematopoietins, interleukin (IL)-3, IL-5, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have previously been shown to prolong eosinophil survival and abrogate apoptosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) on eosinophil survival and apoptosis. Eosinophils from peripheral blood of mildly eosinophilic donors were isolated to > 97% purity using discontinuous Percoll density gradient. Eosinophils were cultured with hematopoietins with or without TGF-beta for 4 d and their viability was assessed. We confirmed previous observations that hematopoietins prolonged eosinophil survival and inhibited apoptosis. TGF-beta at concentrations > or = 10(-12) M abrogated the survival-prolonging effects of hematopoietins in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis as determined by DNA fragmentation in agarose gels. The effect of TGF-beta was blocked by an anti-TGF-beta antibody. The anti-TGF-beta antibody also prolonged eosinophil survival on its own. The culture of eosinophils with IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulated the synthesis of GM-CSF and IL-5, respectively, suggesting an autocrine mechanism of growth factor production. TGF-beta inhibited the synthesis of GM-CSF and IL-5 by eosinophils. TGF-beta did not have any effect on the expression of GM-CSF receptors on eosinophils. We also studied the effect of TGF-beta on eosinophil function and found that TGF-beta inhibited the release of eosinophil peroxidase. Thus, TGF-beta seems to inhibit eosinophil survival and function. The inhibition of endogenous synthesis of hematopoietins may be one mechanism by which TGF-beta blocks eosinophil survival and induces apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Internal Medicine, Galveston 77555-0762.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forsythe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D012016:Reference Values; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D007377:Interleukin-3; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor