title: Induction of natural killer cell activity and perforin and granzyme B gene expression following continuous culture of short pulse with interleukin-12 in young and old mice.
abstract: Anticancer immunotherapy with cytokines is often limited by the occurrence of severe toxicity, particularly in older age groups, which are characterized by a reduced tolerance to antineoplastic therapies. We, and others, have recently demonstrated the efficacy of pulsing procedures with IL-2 as a new therapeutic strategy to induce antitumor cytotoxic cells. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of IL-12 on NK cell activity in young and old mice and to investigate the possibility of inducing NK cytotoxicity and perforin and granzyme B gene expression through a brief exposure of spleen lymphocytes from young and old mice to IL-12. Pulsed lymphocytes were compared with non-pulsed cells cultured continuously in IL-12. IL-12 was able to boost both endogenous and IL-2-induced NK cell activity in young and old mice; the levels of cytotoxicity were lower in old than in young animals although the relative increase of IL-12 plus IL-2 versus IL-2 alone was greater for old mice. Comparable levels of NK cell activity were obtained in pulsed (5 min-1 hour) and non-pulsed lymphocytes from both young and old mice after one or three days of culture. The efficacy of the pulsing procedure was evident in both endogenous and IL-2-induced NK cytotoxicity. The mRNA encoding perforin and granzyme B were markedly and similarly enhanced in both IL-12-pulsed and non-pulsed lymphocytes in comparison with control cells. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of IL-12 pulsing in inducing antitumor cytotoxic cells, suggesting the possibility of using IL-12 pulsing, alone or in combination with IL-2, in the immunotherapy of both young and old subjects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Immunology Center, INRCA Research Department, Via Birarelli 8, 60121 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Argentati
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bartozzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Stasio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Provinciali
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D053804:Granzymes; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D054353:Perforin; D018664:Interleukin-12; D053804:Granzymes; C509214:Gzmb protein, mouse; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases