title: Differential effects of stimulatory factors on natural killer cell activities of young and aged mice.
abstract: Age-associated influences on natural killer (NK) cell functions following cytokine stimulation were examined in splenocytes from C57BL/6 mice. NK cells of both young and aged mice exhibited significantly increased: interferon-γ production after interleukin (IL)-12 or IL-15 alone or any combination of IL-12, IL-18, and IL-2; cytotoxicity after IL-2 or IL-15; and granzyme B expression after IL-15. The only significant age-associated differences were observed in interferon-γ production after IL-15 or IL-12 + 18 + 2 and in granzyme B expression following IL-2 or IL-15. Perforin expression did not increase following stimulation; however, NK cells from aged mice expressed significantly higher levels than young mice. These results underscore the complexity of the cytokine-induced functional activities of NK cells and illustrate the differential response of NK cells from young and aged mice to cytokine stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nogusa
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Murasko
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D053804:Granzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000494:pharmacology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D019409:Interleukin-15; D020382:Interleukin-18; D007376:Interleukin-2; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; C483886:perforin, mouse; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053804:Granzymes; C509214:Gzmb protein, mouse