The influence of prostaglandin E2 on the production of IFN-γ by bovine CD4+, CD8+ and WC1+ T cells

Abstract

The aim of these studies was to assess the influence of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) by bovine CD4+, CD8+, and WC1+ T cells and furthermore, should this effect exist, to identify the E-prostanoid (EP) receptor subtype(s) responsible for this influence. We here report that exposure of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to PGE2 significantly and dose-dependently decreased the percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. It was also shown that PGE2 reduced IFN-γ production by WC1+ T cells, but this effect was not dose dependent. The impairment of IFN-γ production should be recognized as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive action, thus the obtained results confirm the paradoxical status of PGE2 as a proinflammatory factor with immunosuppressive activity. The blockade of EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4 receptors did not prevent PGE2-induced reduction of IFN-γ production by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, indicating that this effect of PGE2 is not mediated through EP receptors. On the contrary, the blockade of either EP2 or EP4 receptors, but not EP1 or EP3 receptors, prevented the PGE2-induced reduction of percentage of IFN-γ-producing WC1+ T cells. These findings indicate that the ability of PGE2 to impair IFN-γ production by WC1+ T cells is mediated via EP2 and EP4 receptors. These results suggest the possibility of pharmacological manipulation of IFN-γ production by WC1+ T cells via selective antagonists and agonists of EP2 and EP4 receptors.