Bovine neutrophil chemiluminescence is preferentially stimulated by homologous IL-1, but inhibited by the human IL-1 receptor antagonist.

Previous studies have indicated that certain types of bovine cells preferentially respond to bovine interleukin-1 (IL-1) compared with IL-1 from other mammalian species. In this study, we demonstrate that bovine neutrophils undergo a substantially greater luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response to bovine IL-1 beta than to human IL-1 alpha, human IL-1 beta, or murine IL-1 alpha. Likewise, approximately 1000-fold less bovine IL-1 beta than human IL-1 beta was required to prime bovine neutrophils for an enhanced luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response to opsonized zymosan particles. A recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist was a potent inhibitor of bovine neutrophil stimulation and priming by homologous and heterologous IL-1. These data indicate a hierarchy amongst members of the IL-1 family in terms of their relative abilities to modulate the functional activation of bovine neutrophils.