Macrophage-activating Factor Research Articles

Pulmonary surfactant phospholipids modulate priming of rabbit alveolar macrophages for oxidative responses.

We investigated the effect of individual phospholipids contained in pulmonary surfactant (PS) on the macrophage-activating factor (MAF)-induced priming of rabbit alveolar macrophages (AMs) for oxidative responses elicited by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan (Op-Zym). AMs were incubated with MAF with or without phospholipids for 18 h. After incubation, oxidative responses were elicited with PMA (0.5 micrograms/ml) or Op-Zym (250 micrograms/ml) and monitored by chemiluminescence (CL) assays. The data indicate that natural surfactant inhibited MAF-induced priming of rabbit AMs for PMA- or Op-Zym-elicited oxidative responses. Artificial surfactant inhibited PMA-elicited CL responses but enhanced Op-Zym-elicited CL responses. Individual phospholipids differed in modulative activities. Dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG), and phosphatidylinositol (PI) inhibited MAF-induced priming when the oxidative responses were elicited with PMA. Whereas DPPG inhibited Op-Zym-elicited oxidative responses, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and DOPC primed AMs for increased Op-Zym-elicited oxidative responses. DOPC did not affect the binding of phorbol dibutyrate to AMs, which suggests that reduced cell binding of phorbol ester was not responsible for the inhibition of PMA-elicited oxidative responses in AMs treated with DOPC. Similarly, DPPC, DOPC, and DPPG did not affect the number of zymosan particles phagocytosed by AMs compared to the control, which suggested that enhanced or reduced Op-Zym-elicited oxidative responses by phospholipids were not due to altered phagocytic activity of AMs. In conclusion, our data indicate that individual surfactant phospholipid differently modulates priming of AMs for oxidative responses, and the effect of individual phospholipids does not account for the effect of complete PS on priming of AMs.

Soluble TNF and membrane TNF expressed on CD4+ T lymphocytes differ in their ability to activate macrophage antileishmanial defense.

In our studies of host defense against the intracellular parasite Leishmania major, we obtained evidence for a novel mechanism of macrophage activation for antimicrobial defense that involves direct cell contact between CD4+ T lymphocytes and Leishmania-infected macrophages. The mechanism is distinctive as it does not involve secretion of lymphokines but is apparently mediated by the membrane-anchored form of tumor necrosis factor (mTNF; approximately 50-60 kd) present on the surface of the effector T lymphocytes. Furthermore, it is not cytotoxic to the host cell and its expression is antigen specific and genetically restricted. We prepared a Leishmania-specific cloned T-T cell hybridoma line 1B6 (CD4+, TH1) that expresses membrane-bound TNF but does not secrete TNF or other macrophage activators. We now report that 1B6 cells can activate antileishmanial defense in inflammatory macrophages, whereas soluble recombinant murine TNF (sTNF) alone is unable to do so. On the other hand, both 1B6 cells and sTNF can act synergistically with recombinant murine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma, a known soluble macrophage-activating factor) in activating antimicrobial defense and NO2- release. The effects of 1B6 alone and the synergistic effects of 1B6 and IFN-gamma or sTNF and IFN-gamma are arginine dependent. These results suggest that mTNF may be more efficient than sTNF in macrophage activation and that contact with effector CD4+ lymphocytes that express mTNF may be an important mechanism of host defense.

Tumor-bearing mice exhibit a progressive increase in tumor antigen-presenting cell function and a reciprocal decrease in tumor antigen-responsive CD4+ T cell activity.

Abstract Splenic CD4+ T cells from BALB/c mice bearing a syngeneic tumor (CSA1M) 2 to 3 wk after the inoculation with CSA1M cells produced IL-2 and macrophage-activating factor upon in vitro cultures. This lymphokine production was achieved without stimulation of these T cells with exogenous stimulating tumor Ag. However, elimination of APC from spleen cells resulted in almost complete abrogation of the capacity of CD4+ T cells to produce IL-2/macrophage-activating factor. The lymphokine production was regained when APC from CSA1M-bearing mice were added back to cultures. APC from normal or another syngeneic tumor (Meth A)-bearing mice failed to regain the lymphokine production. These observations demonstrated that the lymphokines were produced by CD4+ T cells from CSA1M-bearing hosts through their collaboration with APC binding CSA1M tumor Ag in the tumor-bearing state. The lymphokine-producing capacity of whole spleen cells from tumor-bearing mice reached the maximal level around 2 to 3 wk after tumor implantation but gradually decreased with the progress of tumor-bearing stages. Importantly, tumor-bearing stage-related changes were observed in a different fashion in the capacities of anti-CSA1M CD4+ T cells vs CSA1M tumor Ag-binding APC. The capacity of APC increased with the progress of tumor-bearing stages as demonstrated by the stimulation of CSA1M-immunized T cells with APC from different CSA1M-bearing stages. In contrast, the reactivity of anti-CSA1M T cells to APC from a given CSA1M-bearing stage decreased with the tumor-bearing stage. These results demonstrate a stage-related increase tumor Ag-binding APC function, as well as a reciprocal reduction in tumor Ag-responsive CD4+ T cell activity.

Macrophage activation by OM-85 BV.

Peritoneal or bone-marrow-derived murine macrophages were exposed for 24 h in vitro to dilutions of the bacterial extract OM-85 BV, in the presence or absence of other added compounds [macrophage-activating factor (MAF), recombinant murine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)]. Various metabolic responses and functional activities were then measured. Glucose oxidation through the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway was markedly stimulated in OM-85 BV-treated macrophages compared to control macrophages. Similarly, OM-85 BV primed macrophages for superoxide production upon triggering by phorbol myristate acetate. Both effects were further enhanced by simultaneous treatment of the cells with MAF with OM-85 BV. The bacterial extract also induced macrophages to release large amounts of nitrite (a marker of the activated state). As regards functional responses, coincubation with MAF and OM-85 BV activated macrophages to destroy target cells as well as intracellular microorganisms; in the latter case, similar results were obtained when MAF was replaced by IFN-gamma. In all these tests, the possibility that the observed effects were due to contamination of the bacterial extracts by endotoxin could be excluded. The above results indicate that OM-85 BV induces metabolic and functional properties in macrophages that are characteristic of the activated state and are important for host defence.

Enhanced phagocytosis of rat alveolar macrophages by intravenous infusion of an arginine-enriched solution.

Phagocytosis of rat alveolar macrophages (AM) was enhanced by the infusion of arginine-rich solution for 7 days. The enhancement of phagocytosis by arginine-rich solution was due to not the difference in the distribution of AM subpopulations (I to IV) but the difference in phagocytic activity of AM in fraction IV. In the process of phagocytosis, there were no significant differences in the stages of migration, attachment, and digestion between control and arginine-rich solutions, although AM from fraction IV of rats infused with arginine-rich solution showed significantly higher ingestion of opsonized sheep red blood cells (SRBC) compared to that of control group. Furthermore, the production of macrophage-activating factor (MAF) from rat splenocytes was higher in arginine-rich group than that of control group. AM from fraction IV of rats fed a stock diet had a higher arginase activity and showed a significant increase of phagocytosis following in vitro incubation with L-arginine (25 and 50 mM) for 24 h. From these results, the enhanced phagocytosis of AM by arginine-rich solution may be due to the increased phagocytosis of AM from fraction IV, in which the higher sensitivity of AM from fraction IV to arginine and the higher production of MAF from splenocytes following the infusion of arginine-rich solution participate.

Vitamin D3 binding protein (group-specific component) is a precursor for the macrophage-activating signal factor from lysophosphatidylcholine-treated lymphocytes.

A brief (30 min) treatment of mouse peritoneal cells (mixture of nonadherent lymphocytes and adherent macrophages) with 1-20 micrograms of lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) per ml in serum-supplemented RPMI medium 1640, followed by a 3-hr cultivation of the adherent cells alone, results in a greatly enhanced Fc receptor-mediated phagocytic activity of macrophages. This rapid process of macrophage activation was found to require a serum factor, the vitamin D3 binding protein (the human protein is known as group-specific component; Gc). Efficient activation of macrophages was achieved by using medium containing purified human Gc protein. Analysis of intercellular signal transmission among nonadherent (B and T) cells revealed that lyso-PC-treated B cells modify Gc protein to yield a proactivating factor, which can be converted by T cells to the macrophage-activating factor. This rapid generation process of the macrophage-activating factor was also demonstrated by stepwise incubation of Gc protein with lyso-PC-treated B-cell ghosts and untreated T-cell ghosts, suggesting that Gc protein is modified by preexisting membranous enzymes to yield the macrophage-activating factor. Incubation of Gc protein with a mixture of beta-galactosidase and sialidase efficiently generated the macrophage-activating factor. Stepwise incubation of Gc protein with B- or T-cell ghosts and sialidase or beta-galactosidase revealed that Gc protein is modified by beta-galactosidase of B cells and sialidase of T cells to yield the macrophage-activating factor. Administration to mice of a minute amount (4-10 pg per mouse) of in vitro, enzymatically generated macrophage-activating factor resulted in a greatly enhanced (3- to 7-fold) ingestion activity of macrophages.

Identification of the serum factor required for in vitro activation of macrophages. Role of vitamin D3-binding protein (group specific component, Gc) in lysophospholipid activation of mouse peritoneal macrophages.

In vitro treatment of mouse peritoneal cells (mixture of adherent and nonadherent cells) with lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-Pc) in 10% FCS supplemented medium RPMI 1640 results in a greatly enhanced FcR-mediated phagocytic activity of macrophages. This macrophage-activation process requires a serum factor. Fractionation studies with starch block electrophoresis of fetal calf and human sera revealed that alpha 2-globulin fraction contains a serum factor essential for macrophage activation. To identify the serum factor, human serum was precipitated with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate and fractionated on a Sephadex G-100 column. A protein fraction with a lower m.w. than albumin had the capacity to support activation of macrophages. The active serum factor in this protein fraction was analyzed by immunoabsorption by using rabbit antisera against three major proteins of human alpha 2-globulin. This active serum factor was shown to be a vitamin D3-binding protein (group specific component, Gc). By using a monoclonal anti-Gc-absorbed active column fraction of human serum, we observed no enhanced macrophage activation over the results with serum fraction-free cultivation of lyso-Pc-treated peritoneal cells. Cultivation of lyso-Pc-treated peritoneal cells in a medium containing a low concentration of purified human Gc protein (0.1 to 2.6 ng/ml) produced a greatly enhanced phagocytic activity of macrophages. When purified human Gc protein was used in a serum-free medium for stepwise cultivation of lyso-Pc-treated nonadherent cell types, a macrophage-activating factor was efficiently generated. Therefore, it is concluded that the vitamin D3-binding protein is the essential serum factor for the lyso-Pc-primed activation of macrophages.

Bidirectional effects of cytokines on the growth of Mycobacterium avium within human monocytes.

Certain cytokines including IFN-gamma possess macrophage-activating factor activity that enhances the ability of these effector cells to destroy intracellular pathogens. A panel of recombinant and highly purified human cytokines was screened to detect this effect on the activation of human monocytes to kill Mycobacterium avium in an in vitro model. Peripheral blood monocytes obtained from 15 healthy donors were precultured for 2 days before infection. Monocytes were infected with two strains of M. avium, one AIDS-associated and relatively avirulent strain (86m2096), and the other a non-AIDS-associated isolate that demonstrated consistent and rapid growth in cultured human monocytes (LR114F). The effects of recombinant and purified human cytokines on M. avium infection were assayed by determining CFU of M. avium in lysates of infected monocytes after 0, 4, and 7 days of culture. After infection, monocytes were cultured in medium alone or continuously in the presence of the following cytokines: IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-gamma, granulocyte-macrophage-CSF, or macrophage-CSF. In some experiments, cultures were performed in the presence of indomethacin (IM) in addition to cytokines. Culture in the presence of rIFN-gamma was associated with a decrease in mycobacterial growth within human monocytes. The combination of 300 U/ml of IFN-gamma plus 1 micrograms/ml of IM was associated with a 10-fold decrease (p less than 0.01) in intracellular growth of the virulent strain (LR114F) compared with unstimulated cultures. No other cytokine or combination of a cytokine with IM inhibited the intracellular growth of either strain of M. avium in human monocytes. Rather, several cytokines enhanced the intracellular growth of M. avium. IL-3, IL-6, and macrophage-CSF increased the growth of one, and IL-1 alpha of both strains of M. avium tested. IL-1 alpha and IL-6 also induced M. avium growth in tissue culture medium without monocytes. These studies indicate bidirectional effects of cytokines on intracellular parasitism that may influence the outcome of M. avium infection.

Priming of normal human neutrophils by recombinant human growth hormone

Growth hormone (GH) plays an important role in the development, maintenance and function of the immune system. Previous data has demonstrated that GH is also a newly defined macrophage-activating factor. Activation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) by GH has not yet been examined. This paper presents studies demonstrating the effects of GH on the migratory behaviour and respiratory burst of PMN. In a modified Boyden chamber chemotaxis assay, GH did not stimulate PMN locomotion when added directly to the cells but potently inhibited formylpeptide-stimulated chemotaxis with effective concentrations in the picomolar range. The migration inhibition observed is known from studies on PMN priming-factors to be due to enhanced adhesiveness of PMN to artificial surfaces such as nitrocellulose, suggesting that GH stimulates PMN adhesiveness. Priming of PMN by GH was confirmed by direct demonstration of a stimulatory effect on reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium. These findings suggest that GH may be involved in the regulation of PMN functions.

Granules of human CD3+ large granular lymphocytes contain a macrophage regulating factor(s) that induces macrophage H 20 2 production and tumoricidal activity but decreases cell surface la antigen expression

CTL (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and LGL (large granular lymphocytes) exocytose cytoplasmic granules on activation after recognition of their target, releasing granule-associated molecules. We have previously suggested that this process could release immunoregulatory molecules. In this study we investigated whether normal human LGL. granules contained a factor regulating different macrophage activity. Human CD3+ LGL cells were generated by activating peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) for 10–12 days with recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL2), and granules were isolated from disrupted cell homogenate by Percoll gradient fractionation. Solubilized granules were tested for macrophage-activating factor (MAF) activity in three different macrophage assays. When M-CSF-differentiated murine bone marrow-derived macrophages were incubated 9 hr with human LGL granules, they were fully activated to lyse the TNF-resistant P815 tumor cells. The granule-MAF showed a synergistic effect with rhIL-1β, rmTNF-α, and rmlFN-τ in the cytolytic assay. In addition, proteose-peptone-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages profoundly increased H 20 2 production after activation with human LGL granules. However, unlike IFN-τ, no increase in peritoneal macrophage la antigen expression was detected after incubation with granules. Moreover, granule-MAF suppressed la induction by IFN-τ. These results confirm that human CD3+ LGL granules contain a molecule(s) capable of regulating macrophage function.

Modulation of the immune response to tumors by a novel synthetic compound, (4R)-3-benzoyl-N-[(1R)-1-phenylethyl]-4-thiazolidinecarboxamide (RS-0481).

RS-0481, (4R)-3-benzoyl-N-[(1R)-phenylethyl]-4-thiazolidinecarboxamide, is a compound that can re-establish the function of certain lymphoid cell populations impaired by the presence of a growing tumor in an animal. The compound markedly augmented the tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, TDTH (delayed-type hypersensitivity T cells), and the nonspecific lymphokine-activated-killer-cell-like cell responses. It also enhanced the tumor-inhibitory effect of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice, but not in normal mice, indicating that it enhances the antitumor immune responses. Lymphocytes from RS-0481-treated tumor-bearing mice released significantly higher amounts of macrophage-activating factor(s) (MAF) and interleukin-2(IL-2)-like factors in culture compared with lymphocytes from untreated animals. Also, sera from treated tumor bearers showed elevated colony-stimulating factor (CSF) activity. Although the compound did not influence the factor-producing activity in mice without tumor, it enhanced the responsiveness of their bone marrow cells, T cells, and macrophages to CSF, IL-2, and MAF. It seems therefore possible that the compound enhances the responsiveness of immunocompetent cells to cytokines, resulting in a marked augmentation of antitumor T cell responses in tumor-bearing mice. Consistently it inhibited the development of lymph node metastasis of transplanted X5563 plasmacytoma, and we showed that T cells play a decisive role in this inhibition. The compound also counteracted the development of suppressor T cell activity in the spleen of tumor-bearing mice.

Activated macrophages in highly irradiated cercariae-induced immunity toSchistosoma japonicumin rats

The results of studies on the schistosomulicidal activity of activated peritoneal and alveolar macrophages (pM phi and aM phi) from rats immunized with highly irradiated (50 krad.) Schistosoma japonicum cercariae are reported. The authors have examined the activation of these macrophages in terms of spreading, adhesion and ingestion of sheep erythrocytes and pinocytosis of horse-radish peroxidase. Using three criteria, peritoneal macrophages and alveolar macrophages from immunized rats and from rats intraperitoneally injected with BCG were significantly more active than those from normal rats or rats stimulated with 10% proteose-peptone or 1% sodium thioglycolate. A significantly higher percentage of adhesion and ingestion was obtained with the sheep erythrocytes that were co-opsonized by heat-inactivated rat anti-sheep erythrocyte serum and fresh normal rat serum. Schistosomulicidal effects were observed with macrophages from irradiated cercariae-immunized rats in two activation systems: in vitro activation in the presence of macrophage-activating factor (MAF), and in vivo activation by the intraperitoneal challenge with sonicated cercarial antigens.

Killing of Leishmania Parasites in Activated Murine Macrophages is Based on an L-Arginine-Dependent Process That Produces Nitrogen Derivatives

The experiments described in this report were aimed at determining whether L-arginine (L-arg)-derived nitrogen oxidation products (nitric oxide, nitrous acid, nitrites) are involved in the intracellular killing of Leishmania parasites by activated murine macrophages in vitro. Peritoneal or bone marrow-derived macrophages were infected with L. enriettii or L. major, then activated by exposure to recombinant murine interferon-gamma or to macrophage activating factor (MAF)-rich media in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Activation of macrophages in regular (i.e., arginine-containing) culture medium led to complete destruction of the microorganisms within 24 h (L. enriettii) or 48 h (L. major), concomitant with accumulation of nitrites (NO2-) in the culture fluids. When macrophage activation was carried out in L-arg-free medium, however, neither parasite killing nor NO2- production was obtained. A similar inhibition of macrophage leishmanicidal activity and of NO2- release was observed using media treated with arginase (which converts L-arg to urea and ornithine), or supplemented with NG-monomethyl-L-arg or guanidine (which inhibit the conversion of L-arg to nitrogen oxidation products). In all these situations, an excellent correlation between the levels of NO2- production by macrophages and intracellular killing of Leishmania was observed, whereas no strict correlation was detectable between leishmanicidal activity and superoxide production. Intracellular parasite killing by activated macrophages could be prevented by addition of iron salts to the incubation fluids. Incubation of free parasites with NaNO2 at acid pH (which permits the production of nitrous acid) led to immobilisation, multiplication arrest, and morphological degeneration of the microorganisms. Similarly, exposure of infected cells to NaNO2 led to killing of the intracellular parasite without affecting macrophage viability. These experiments strongly suggest that the leishmanicidal effect of activated murine macrophages involves the agency of L-arg-derived nitrogen oxidation products.

The effect of a high-fat diet on murine macrophage activity

The phagocytic, oxygen free radical generating and cytotoxic activities of macrophages from C57BL/6J mice fed either a normal or an atherogenic high-fat diet have been investigated. Phagocytosis of aggregated low density lipoprotein (LDL) was only slightly inhibited by the high-fat diet although phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) and superoxide anion (O 2 −) production was significantly reduced. Activation of tumoricidal activity against L929 target cells by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lymphocyte-derived macrophage-activating factor (MAF), but not N- acetylmuramyl- L-alanyl- D-isoglutamine (MDP), was also significantly reduced in macrophages from mice fed the high-fat diet. These results indicate that an atherogenic diet is capable of significantly affecting the responsiveness of macrophages to a number of stimulatory agents which act via specific membrane receptors.

Macrophage-activating factor extracted from mycoplasmas.

Mycoplasmas (M. gallisepticum, chicken mycoplasmas), in concert with interferon gamma (IFN gamma), were effective in activating macrophages (M theta) to be tumoricidal. The M theta-activating capacity of mycoplasmas was maintained after treatment with heat. 0.1 M NaOH, 1 M HCl, or trypsin. M theta-activating factor was extracted from mycoplasmas with chloroform/methanol and water (Mf-B). Mf-B was also effective in activating M theta in the presence of IFN gamma. The threshold dose of Mf-B for M theta of ordinary C3H/He mice and that for those of C3H/HeJ mice, the latter being known to be low responders to bacterial lipopolysaccharide, were actually the same. This seems to indicate that the effectiveness of Mf-B was not attributable to possibly contaminating lipopolysaccharides, and that the pathway of activity of Mf-B is different from that of lipopolysaccharides. Since the M theta-activating principle was only a very small part of Mf-B, we have not yet succeeded in identifying it, but there was no evidence that it was protein, nucleic acid, sugar, or lipid. The cytotoxicity of M theta activated by Mf-B plus IFN gamma was dependent on L-arginine in the culture, suggesting that arginine metabolites are involved in M theta cytotoxicity. Mf-B induced a small amount of tumor necrosis factor in M theta, and this induction was markedly enhanced by IFN gamma.

Interleukin-1-induced promotion of T-cell differentiation in mice immunized with killed Listeria monocytogenes

We studied the effects of administration of recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (rIL-1 alpha) to mice after immunization with killed Listeria monocytogenes cells on the promotion of the functional differentiation of T cells in vivo. Mice immunized with killed L. monocytogenes were unable to express cell-mediated immunity to specific antigen in vivo, as determined by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and acquired cellular resistance (ACR), and splenic T cells obtained from such mice were unable to respond to rIL-2 and specific antigen and to produce IL-2 after antigenic restimulation in vitro. When rIL-1 alpha was given to mice after immunization with killed bacteria. T cells became capable of responding to rIL-2 and specific antigen in vitro. These functions of T cells were similar to those from mice immunized with viable listeriae. Moreover, using a local passive transfer system, it was found that effector T cells mediating DTH but not ACR to L. monocytogenes were generated in mice treated with rIL-1 alpha after immunization with killed bacteria. These T cells were able to produce macrophage chemotactic factor but not macrophage-activating factor or gamma interferon in vitro in response to stimulation with specific antigen. These results suggest that in vivo administration of rIL-1 alpha facilitates the maturation of antigen-specific T cells mediating DTH and that different effector T cells mediating DTH or ACR are involved in cell-mediated immunity to L. monocytogenes.

Quartz‐induced production of reactive oxygen metabolites by activated human monocyte‐derived macrophages

Quartz but not titanium dioxide (TiO2) induced the production of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) by human monocyte-derived macrophages, as measured by lucigenin dependent chemiluminescence. Activation of the macrophages with BCG, bacterial lipopolysaccharide and macrophage-activating factor (MAF) caused a prominent increase of quartz-induced ROM production, MAF having the strongest effect. The activation did not affect the TiO2 responses to the same extent. Assuming that ROM have a role in the pathogenesis of silica-induced disease in man, we suggest that enhancement of quartz-induced production of ROM by activated pulmonary macrophages may at least partly explain the experimental and epidemiological data indicating that activation of the immune system during infection promotes the development of silicosis.

Regulation of macrophage activation by IL-3. I. IL-3 functions as a macrophage-activating factor with unique properties, inducing Ia and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 but not cytotoxicity.

Here we report that IL-3 (also referred to as multi-CSF because of its colony-stimulating activity on a variety of hemopoietic cell lineages) can function as a macrophage-activating factor (MAF). IL-3 was able to regulate the expression of class II MHC Ag and the cellular interaction molecule lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1 on the surface of murine peritoneal exudate cells. The kinetics of IL-3-induced Ia expression appeared to be distinct from that induced by either IFN-gamma, IL-4, or granulocyte-macrophage-CSF. IL-3 was also distinguished from these factors by the finding that it did not induce macrophage tumoricidal activity. In addition to its inherent MAF activities, IL-3 also showed a marked synergy with low doses of LPS (0.05 to 0.5 ng/ml) as well as IFN-gamma in Ia induction. When lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1 expression was evaluated, the effects of these stimuli appeared to be only additive. Although LPS has been shown to inhibit IFN-gamma-induced Ia expression, in our experiments this property of LPS is manifest only when present at doses greater than or equal to 50 ng/ml. At lower concentrations, LPS potentiated both IL-3- and IFN-gamma-induced class II MHC Ag expression. Data presented here also suggest that the synergistic interactions between low doses of LPS and IL-3 are not mediated by known LPS-inducible cytokines of macrophage origin, because rIL-1, TNF-alpha, or IL-6 did not enhance the response to IL-3. Because IL-3 can also participate in the regulation of IL-1 expression, it appears that IL-3 can function as a MAF which selectively regulates the accessory cell characteristics required for Ag presentation, as opposed to the cytolytic functions of the macrophage.

T-cell hybridomas reveal two distinct mechanisms of antileishmanial defense

Using lymph node lymphocytes of Leishmania major-infected mice, we constructed and cloned two T-cell hybridomas that could activate macrophages to exert antileishmanial defense in vitro. One clone, 1D5, produced lymphokines (including gamma interferon) that induced these effects. Production of the macrophage-activating lymphokines and the protective effect of 1D5 were suppressed by the addition of cyclosporine A to cultures. The other clone, 1B6, produced no detectable macrophage-activating lymphokines, and its protective ability was not suppressed by cyclosporine A. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (a lymphokine also known to induce antileishmanial effects in macrophages) was not detectable in culture supernatants of either clone. Furthermore, neither clone was cytotoxic to infected macrophages. Antileishmanial defense induced by 1B6 was genetically restricted; that is, infected macrophages and hybridoma cells had to be syngeneic for an antileishmanial effect to occur. In contrast, such restriction was not a property of clone 1D5, a clone that was responsive to alloantigens as well as leishmanial antigens. When incubated at a temperature (34 degrees C) at which lymphokines are relatively ineffective for antileishmanial defense, 1B6 but not 1D5 retained its antileishmanial properties. These observations provide clear evidence for the existence of two distinct mechanisms of macrophage activation: one that is lymphokine dependent, and one that is apparently lymphokine independent. The expression of these two mechanisms by cloned cells strongly suggests that they are properties of different T-cell subpopulations, extending our prior conclusions based on studies of heterogeneous T-cell populations. We hypothesize that the latter macrophage activation process involves a cell contact-dependent mechanism which might involve the interaction of a lymphocyte membrane-associated macrophage-activating factor (such as tumor necrosis factor) with its receptor on the macrophage, resulting in activation of antileishmanial effects but not host cell cytotoxicity.

Do fish lymphocytes secrete interferon‐γ?

Macrophage activating factor (MAF)‐containing supernatants, generated by mitogen (Con A/PMA) stimulation of rainbow trout leucocytes, were found to confer viral resistance (interferon, IFN, activity) on a rainbow trout epithelial cell line challenged with infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. Both the MAF and IFN activities co‐eluted by HPLC size exclusion chromatography and showed similar sensitivities to acid (pH 2), temperature (60° C) and trypsin. The mode of induction of this IFN, its acid and temperature sensitivity and its possible MAF activity suggest that fish leucocytes can secrete an IFN‐γ like molecule.