title: Combined interleukin 1 beta/interleukin 2 treatment in mice: synergistic myelostimulatory activity and protection against cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression.
abstract: We have studied the effects of single and combined treatment with interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) on spleen and bone marrow hematopoiesis in normal mice. Injection of IL-1 beta alone was followed by a significant increase in the number of granulocytes in spleen and progenitors (burst-forming units-erythroid and colony-forming units-granulomonocytic) in both spleen and bone marrow, s compared to control mice. In contrast, IL-2 alone induced only a slight increase in the number of marrow colony-forming units-granulomonocytic and had no significant effect on spleen progenitors. Repeated injections of both IL-1 beta and IL-2 resulted in a synergistic increase in spleen weight and splenocyte number, as compared to mice treated with the single cytokine regimen; in particular, the combined treatment induced a marked rise in the number of neutrophilic granulocytes and erythroblasts, whereas splenic lymphocytes were not affected. This regimen also caused a synergistic increase in the number of spleen and marrow progenitor cells: a time-course analysis showed an elevation in numbers of both burst-forming units-erythroid and colony-forming units-granulomonocytic, first in marrow (day 10) and subsequently in spleen (day 18). Combined IL-1 beta/IL-2 treatment dampened the decrease and accelerated the recovery of myeloid cells after cyclophosphamide injection, whereas the single cytokine regimen was not effective. Similarly, the rebound of WBC (especially neutrophilic granulocytes) after cyclophosphamide treatment was markedly enhanced by the combined treatment, whereas the single cytokine regimen was ineffective. These results, indicating a myelostimulatory effect by the combined cytokine regimen, together with our previous observations showing a synergistic antitumor activity by IL-1/IL-2 treatment in experimental mouse tumors (V. Ciolli et al., J. Exp. Med., 173: 313-322, 1991), may provide the basis for the development of new combination therapies with cytokines and antiblastic agents in the treatment of cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tritarelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabriele
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabbianelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belardelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peschle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003520:Cyclophosphamide