title: Endogenous interleukin-12 regulates acquired resistance in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Treatment with interleukin-12 (IL-12) induces leishmanicidal activity in experimental Leishmania donovani infection; therefore, BALB/c mice were injected with anti-IL-12 antibody to define the role of endogenous IL-12 in acquired resistance in this disseminated intracellular infection. Anti-IL-12 administration started 1 day after infection and given for 4 weeks abolished control of visceral parasite replication and in parallel suppressed endogenous interferon-gamma production and tissue granuloma assembly. Early (during week 1 only) and delayed treatment (during weeks 2-4 only) with anti-IL-12 also exacerbated visceral infection at week 4. These results point to a central role for endogenous IL-12 in acquired resistance to intracellular L. donovani and suggest that IL-12 is active in the cell-mediated immune response beyond the initial stage of host-parasite interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000502:physiology*; D007893:Leishmania donovani; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma