title: Cytotoxicity in glioma cells due to interleukin-12 and interleukin-18-stimulated macrophages mediated by interferon-gamma-regulated nitric oxide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 synergistically mediate antitumor responses through the production of interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) by T and natural killer (NK) cells. Recently, it has been reported that macrophages stimulated with these cytokines also produce IFNgamma, which led the authors to investigate the antiglioma activity of macrophages stimulated by the combination of these cytokines in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dish-adherent peritoneal exudate cells, which had been elicited in thioglycollate broth as a source of macrophages, were used in the experiment. The murine glioma cell lines VM-glioma and 203G were labeled with [3H]thymidine for a cytotoxicity assay of macrophages. In response to the combined stimulation by IL-12 and IL-18, macrophages expressed potent cytotoxic activity against glioma cells in association with increasing production of IFNgamma and nitric oxide (NO). Inhibitors of NO abrogated the cytotoxic activity of the macrophages, which had been induced by IL-12 and IL-18, despite the increase in IFNgamma production. Neutralization of IFNgamma or use of macrophages obtained from IFNgamma gene-knockout mice markedly reduced not only cytotoxic activity, but also NO production. Depletion of T and NK cells from the macrophage population, which was achieved using antibody plus complement treatment, slightly reduced macrophage activities, suggesting that these are the main effector cells, although T and NK cells may partially participate in this cytotoxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Macrophages stimulated with IL-12 and IL-18 produced IFNgamma and NO, which in turn mediated the antiglioma response. Therefore, macrophages as well as T and NK cells play an important role in antitumor responses stimulated by IL-12 and IL-18.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Immunology and Neurosurgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyusyu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kito
authors.forename: Etsushi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Uki
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma