Effects of cyclic GMP-agonists on cyclosporin-induced suppression of human lymphokine production.

Cyclosporin (Cs) inhibits the elaboration of the lymphokine leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF) from human blood mononuclear cells (MNC) stimulated with recall antigen. This inhibition was counteracted by 3 X 10(-5) M dibutyryl-cyclic GMP and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP and by the cyclic GMP-agonists, sodium nitroprusside (NaNPr), ascorbic acid (As A), sodium azide (NaN3) and carbacholine. Using 5 X 10(-5) M NaNPr, 1 X 10(-3) M NaN3, or 3 X 10(-3) M As A, 25-50-, 4-8- and 2-3-fold elevations of MNC and T-lymphocyte cyclic GMP-levels were obtained independently of the presence of Cs. NaNPr was the most potent of these three cyclic GMP-agonists in counteracting the effect of Cs. The results indicate that intracellular cyclic GMP is a major factor involved in the reversal of Cs-induced inhibition of LIF-production. None of the cyclic GMP-analogues or -agonists by themselves possessed Interleukin 1-like activity, measured by their ability to induce LIF-production by macrophage-depleted T-lymphocytes challenged by recall antigen.