Participation of pterins in the control of lymphocyte stimulation and lymphoblast proliferation.

Biopterin accumulation had been demonstrated as the result of normal and, especially, of malignant hemopoietic cell proliferation (Ziegler, I. et al. Blut, 44: 231-240, and 261-270, 1982). Among 13 major intermediates of pterin metabolism and two lumazines, xanthopterin (but not dihydroxanthopterin) was found to inhibit cell proliferation (half-maximum inhibition at 1.8 X 10(-5) M) during concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte activation in pre-stimulated lymphocytes and in a lymphoid cell line grown in continuous culture (LS-2). LS-2 cells exposed to maximum inhibitor concentrations largely maintained the initial thymidine incorporation rate for about 40 hr but failed to enter logarithmic growth. Isoxanthopterin inhibition was found only in serum-free medium, since it is trapped by the alpha-acid glycoprotein present in the serum. The reduced biopterin derivatives, sepiapterin, dihydrobiopterin, and tetrahydrobiopterin, are costimulators during concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte activation. Their costimulatory effect follows an optimum curve and peaks at 1.5 to 3 X 10(-5) M. It is highest at the suboptimal and supraoptimal concanavalin A concentration. The D-erythro isomer dihydroneopterin was inactive. The results indicate that the anabolic-reduced biopterin derivatives are not simply lymphocytic products, but, in combination with the catabolites xanthopterin and isoxanthopterin, they also participate in the regulation of lymphocyte activation. Hence, they fulfill the criteria for lymphokines.