Cunha F Q, Moncada S, Liew F Y
Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent, UK.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1992 Feb 14;182(3):1155-9. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(92)91852-h.
A murine macrophage cell line, J774, expresses high levels of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and produces large amounts of nitric oxide (NO) when activated with recombinant interferon (IFN)-gamma and a low concentration of LPS (10 ng/ml). Both the expression of NOS and the production of NO were inhibited by recombinant IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition was effective only when the cells were pretreated with IL-10; addition of IL-10 at the same time or after IFN-gamma activation was without effect. These results demonstrate that IL-10, a product of Th2 (helper T lymphocyte 2) cells, can antagonise the function of IFN-gamma, a product of Th1 cells, by modulating the mechanism of synthesis of nitric oxide in the macrophages.
