title: Activation signals of T lymphocytes in microgravity.
abstract: Human peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes were activated with concanavalin A with or without exogenous recombinant interleukin 1 (IL-1) alone or IL-1 + interleukin 2 (IL-2) under microgravity conditions to test the hypothesis that lack of production of IL-1 by monocytes is the cause of the near total loss of activation observed earlier on several Spacelab flights. The 60 min failure of the on-board 1 x g reference centrifuge at the time of the addition of the activator renders the in-flight data at 1 x g unreliable. However, the data from a previous experiment on SLS-1 show that there is no difference between the results from the in-flight 1 x g centrifuge and 1 x g on ground. The comparison between the data of the cultures at 0 x g in space and of the synchronous control at 1 x g on ground show that exogenous IL-1 and IL-2 do not prevent the loss of activity (measured as the mitotic index) at 0 x g; production of interferon-gamma, however, is partially restored. In contrast to a previous experiment in space, the production of IL-1 is not inhibited.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiologia Generale, University of Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pippia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sciola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cogoli-Greuter
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cogoli
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014893:Weightlessness / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003208:Concanavalin A