These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Cytokine interactions in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis.
    Author: Solbach W, Röllinghoff M, Stenger S, Bogdan C.
    Journal: Behring Inst Mitt; 1991 Feb; (88):230-8. PubMed ID: 1904708.
    Abstract:
    Destruction of intracellularly living Leishmania major amastigotes is achieved by activated macrophages. In this report, we have investigated the contribution of IL-4, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma to the induction of antileishmanial macrophage activation. It was found that as single lymphokine only IFN-gamma led to amastigote elimination by peritoneal exudate macrophages. Neither IL-4 nor TNF-alpha or the combination of both cytokines led to antimicrobial activation. When the macrophages were incubated with concentrations of IFN-gamma that by themselves were insufficient for maximum cell activation, it was found that both IL-4 and TNF-alpha very effectively synergized with IFN-gamma for induction of antiparasitic activity. The activation which was achieved when IFN-gamma was combined with IL-4 could be blocked not only with antibodies to either of the lymphokines, but also with an antiserum specific for TNF-alpha, suggesting the involvement of endogenously generated TNF-alpha in this synergism. Any of the synergistic activities observed presumably lead to the activation of the L-arginine dependent pathway used by the cell for the production of nitrogen oxides as effector molecules for parasite killing since NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a specific inhibitor of this pathway, completely blocked the killing of intracellular parasites. We conclude that macrophage activation for antiparasitic activity is directed by a complex network of cytokine-interactions, in which IL-4 and TNF-alpha very effectively synergize positively with low levels of IFN-gamma.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]