Induction of lymphokine-activated killer cells in strain 2 guinea pigs with human interleukin-2.

Culture of spleen cells from strain 2 guinea pigs with Jurkat interleukin-2 (IL-2) resulted in the induction of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. Maximum LAK activity was induced using 5000 pmol of IL-2. Incubation of spleen cells with IL-2 for as little as 8 h resulted in detectable LAK activity. LAK cell activity was transient and could be stimulated by adding back IL-2. LAK cell activity was enriched in a 1.085 single-step percoll gradient. Admixture of guinea pig LAK cells with the line 10 hepatoma prior to intradermal injection resulted in inhibition of tumor growth. Systemic passive transfer of LAK cells together with concurrent IL-2 resulted in a significant inhibition of metastatic tumor growth.