Cyclosporin A inhibits the decrease of CD4/CD8 expression induced by protein kinase C activation.
Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a powerful immunosuppressive drug widely used in transplantation medicine. A major effect of CsA is inhibition of the differentiation of immature double-positive (DP) CD4+ CD8+ thymocytes into mature single-positive (SP) CD4+ CD8- or CD4- CD8+ thymocytes. The mechanisms underlying the changes in CD4/CD8 expression during normal differentiation of thymocytes and the way CsA interferes with this differentiation process are still unknown. Here we show that protein kinase C (PKC) activation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) causes a decrease of both CD4 and CD8 expression at the cell surface level and at the mRNA level in a CD4+ CD8+ T cell line and in freshly isolated thymocytes. A PKC inhibitor, staurosporin, interferes with the differentiation from DP to SP in fetal thymus organ culture system. These data suggest that the alternation of CD4/CD8 expression from DP to SP is dependent on PKC activation. CsA blocks this decrease of CD4/CD8 expression by PMA in vitro. Moreover, this PMA effect is also blocked by treatment with cycloheximide. These results suggest that the reduction of CD4/CD8 expression requires de novo synthesis of a protein(s) induced in response to a signal conveyed by activated PKC. CsA may block the transition from DP to SP by inhibition of CD4/CD8 down-regulation induced by PKC activation.
Nakayama
K
K
Laboratory of Molecular Regulation of Aging, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Ibaraki, Japan.
Nakauchi
H
H
D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016572:Cyclosporine; D011493:Protein Kinase C