Interferon Gamma Alters the Phenotype of Rat Thymic Epithelial Cells in Culture and Increases Interleukin-6
Production |
| |
Authors: | Miodrag ?oli? Nada Pejnovi? Milena Kataranovski Ljiljana Popovi? Sonja Ga?I? Aleksandar Duji? |
| |
Affiliation: | . Institute of Medical Research, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, |
| |
Abstract: | Rat thymic epithelial cells (TEC) in long-term culture were characterized by
anticytokeratin monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and electron microscopy. Phenotypic
analysis performed by a large panel of mAbs showed that the highest percentage of
these cells was of the subcapsular/medullary type.
Recombinant rat interferon (IFN)-gamma up-regulated class-I and class-II MHC
expression by TEC in culture as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and flow
cytometry, but did not significantly alter other cell markers. TEC supernatants of IFN-gamma-
treated cultures showed higher interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity, compared to the
control, as determined by proliferation of the IL-6-sensitive B9-cell line. Increased IL-6
activity was probably not a consequence of increased TEC number in IFN-gammatreated
cultures because IFN did not significantly stimulate TEC proliferation in vitro. In
contrast, IL-6 significantly stimulated TEC proliferation, indicating that this cytokine is
not only a regulatory molecule for T-cell proliferation, but could also be an autocrine
growth factor for thymic epithelium. |
| |
Keywords: | Thymic epithelial cells culture cytokines monoclonal antibodies electron microscopy |
|
|