The effect of alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, on mitogen-induced interleukin 2 production.

The objective of the present investigation was to examine the effect of DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, on mitogen-induced interleukin 2 production. Treatment with DFMO reduced nylon wool T cell polyamine levels. In contrast, DFMO treatment enhanced, greater than two-fold, detectable levels of concanavalin A-induced interleukin 2 activity. This observed augmentation was not limited to in vitro DFMO treatment, since oral administration of DFMO to C57BL/6 mice also enhanced concanavalin A-induced interleukin 2 levels in vitro. Treatment with exogenous putrescine reversed the effect of DFMO on interleukin 2 levels. These results suggest that the effect of DFMO on interleukin 2 levels is mediated through polyamines. Therefore, polyamine biosynthesis may play a role in the intracellular regulation of interleukin 2 production.