title: Interleukin 4 increases CCR9 expression and homing of lymphocytes to gut-associated lymphoid tissue in chickens.
abstract: The effects of in vitro and in vivo IL-4 supplementation on thymocyte and splenocyte CCR9 mRNA amount and migration were studied. Thymocytes, splenocytes, splenocytes+thymocytes (2:1), and splenocytes+bursocyte cells (2:1) were supplemented with either 0 or 5 ng/ml IL-4 for 5d. CCR9 mRNA was undetectable in all experimental groups supplemented with 0 ng/ml IL-4. IL-4 treatment (5 ng/ml) upregulated (P=0.01) CCR9 mRNA only in the splenocyte+thymocyte cell culture. IL-4-mediated CCR9 mRNA induction in the splenocyte+thymocyte cell culture was dependent on the in vitro dose of IL-4 supplementation. IL-4-treated splenocyte+thymocyte cells when injected in vivo preferentially migrated to cecal tonsils. In vivo supplementation of IL-4 was achieved through in ovo injection of recombinant chicken IL-4 plasmid. Cecal tonsils in chicks hatched from IL-4-plasmid-injected eggs weighed more, had a higher amount of CCR9 mRNA, and had a higher percentage of CD8(+) cells than cecal tonsils from chicks hatched from PBS-injected eggs. It could be concluded that IL-4 induces CCR9 mRNA in thymocytes and splenocytes and directs the migration of cells to gut-associated lymphoid tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691, USA.
authors.forename: Thavamathi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Annamalai
authors.forename: Ramesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Selvaraj
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D054388:Receptors, CCR / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D054388:Receptors, CCR; D015847:Interleukin-4