title: Cooperative IFN-gamma production of mouse liver B cells and natural killer cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although mouse liver contains a large population of B cells, little is known about how hepatic B cells respond to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytokine and IgM productions of hepatic B cells were compared with those of splenic B cells. The effect of LPS-treated hepatic B cells on IFN-gamma production from co-cultured NK1.1+ cells was also examined by irradiation and transwell experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatic B cells stimulated with LPS produced substantial amounts of IFN-gamma and IL-12 but a small amount of IgM, while splenic B cells did not produce any of these cytokines but produced a large amount of IgM. The hepatic B cells expressed surface markers similar to those on spleen B cells but expressed more C-X-C chemokine receptor 3 than spleen B cells. Notably, depletion of B220+ cells from liver MNCs (but not from spleen MNCs) greatly decreased LPS-induced IFN-gamma production. Furthermore, LPS-treated hepatic B cells stimulated liver NK1.1+ cells to produce a remarkable amount of IFN-gamma, not only through their soluble factors but also through direct cell-cell contact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver B cells may play an important role in the defense against gram-negative bacterial infections by inducing IFN-gamma production from liver NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Majima
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Habu
authors.forename: Nariyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinomiya
authors.forename: Shuhji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007371:Interferon-gamma