Resistance of natural killer T cell-deficient mice to systemic Shwartzman reaction.
The generalized Shwartzman reaction in mice which had been primed and challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) depends on interleukin (IL)-12-induced interferon (IFN)-gamma production at the priming stage. We examined the involvement in the priming mechanism of the unique population of Valpha14 natural killer T (NKT) cells because they promptly produce IFN-gamma after IL-12 stimulation. We report here that LPS- or IL-12-primed NKT cell genetically deficient mice were found to be resistant to LPS-elicited mortality. This outcome can be attributed to the reduction of IFN-gamma production, because injection of recombinant mouse IFN-gamma, but not injection of IL-12, effectively primed the NKT cell-deficient mice. However, priming with high doses of LPS caused mortality of severe combined immunodeficiency, NKT cell-deficient, and CD1-deficient mice, indicating a major contribution of NKT cells to the Shwartzman reaction elicited by low doses of LPS, whereas at higher doses of LPS NK cells play a prominent role. These results suggest that the numerically small NKT cell population of normal mice apparently plays a mandatory role in the priming stage of the generalized Shwartzman reaction.
Dieli
F
F
Department of Biopathology, University of Palermo, Italy.
Sireci
G
G
Russo
D
D
Taniguchi
M
M
Ivanyi
J
J
Fernandez
C
C
Troye-Blomberg
M
M
De Leo
G
G
Salerno
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016513:Mice, SCID; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D012790:Shwartzman Phenomenon / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000941:Antigens; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011506:Proteins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma