Stimulated rat T cell-derived inhibitory factor for cellular DNA synthesis (STIF). II. Kinetics of the production and characterization of the producer.

Kinetics of the production of a stimulated T cell-derived inhibitory factor for cellular DNA synthesis (STIF) (1) from Con A-stimulated SD rat spleen cells, and the cells involved in the production of the factor, were examined comparatively with those of interleukin 2 (IL 2) and interferon (IFN). STIF activity in the culture supernatants reached a plateau 24 hr after the culture, and the plateau level was maintained during an additional culture for 72 hr. Characterization of the cells involved in STIF production by means of negative selection of unfractionated or nylon-fractionated spleen cells with anti-rat T cell serum or monoclonal antibodies plus complement revealed that the cells are nylon-nonadherent T cells bearing a suppressor T cell marker. The nylon-nonadherent T cell population did not require additional macrophages for STIF production. In vivo pretreatment of rats with cyclophosphamide (25 to 100 mg/kg) reduced or abolished the production of STIF from the Con A-stimulated spleen cells of the rats. The STIF production from Con A-stimulated spleen cells was inhibited by the addition of indomethacin at 10 ng/ml, indicating a regulatory role of prostaglandin(s) in STIF production. The above characteristics distinguish a T cell subset for STIF production from those for IL 2 and IFN production.