Stimulation of macrophages by Bacillus firmus: production of nitric oxide and cytokines.
Immunostimulatory properties of gram-positive Bacillus firmus were investigated under in vitro conditions using murine peritoneal macrophages. B. firmus stimulated in a concentration and time dependent manner the secretion of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), but it had no influence upon interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. It also substantially augmented production of nitric oxide (NO) induced by exogenous IFN-gamma. Inhibitory experiments using neutralizing antibodies against TNF-alpha and/or IL-10 have demonstrated that these cytokines are responsible for triggering the underlying mechanism(s) leading to enhanced NO production. The cytokine-stimulatory and NO-costimulatory properties could participate in the antiinfectious and anticancer effects of B. firmus, detected previously in the in vivo experiments.
Institute of Pharmacology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague.
Z
Z
Zidek
L
L
Tucková
M
M
Mára
R
R
Barot-Ciorbaru
L
L
Prokesová
H
H
Tlaskalová-Hogenová
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D001407:Bacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D009615:Nocardia / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase