title: Evaluation of the Multi-ImmunoTox Assay composed of 3 human cytokine reporter cells by examining immunological effects of drugs.
abstract: We established a luciferase reporter assay system, the Multi-ImmunoTox Assay (MITA), to evaluate the effects on key predictivein vitro components of the human immune system. The system is composed of 3 stable reporter cell lines transfected with 3 luciferase genes, SLG, SLO, and SLR, under the control of 4 cytokine promoters, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-8, and the G3PDH promoter. We first compared the effects of dexamethasone, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus on these cell lines stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin, or lipopolysaccharides, with those on mRNA expression by the mother cell lines and human whole blood cells after stimulation. The results demonstrated that MITA correctly reflected the change of mRNA of the mother cell lines and whole blood cells. Next, we evaluated other immunosuppressive drugs, off-label immunosuppressive drugs, and non-immunomodulatory drugs. Although MITA did not detect immunosuppressive effects of either alkylating agents or antimetabolites, it could demonstrate those of the off-label immunosuppressive drugs, sulfasalazine, chloroquine, minocycline, and nicotinamide. Compared with the published immunological effects of the drugs, these data suggest that MITA can present a novel high-throughput approach to detect immunological effects of chemicals other than those that induce immunosuppressive effects through their inhibitory action on cell division.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Chizu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. Electronic address: saiba@med.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Setsuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aiba
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000633:toxicity*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008156:Luciferases
keywords: Alternatives to animals; Immunotoxicity; Reporter assay