Brequinar sodium inhibits interleukin-6-induced differentiation of a human B-cell line into IgM-secreting plasma cells.

Brequinar sodium (BQR) has been shown recently to be a potent immunosuppressive agent. This property has been attributed to the capacity of BQR to inhibit de novo pyrimidine nucleoside biosynthesis and consequently, to blockade the synthesis both of DNA and RNA. The influence of this new immunosuppressant on lymphocyte function has not been fully characterized. To determine the potential efficacy of BQR for the control of antibody-mediated graft rejection, which is of particular significance in the context of xenotransplantation, we have examined the influence of the drug on interleukin-6-dependent IgM production by the human B-cell line, SKW 6.4. At concentrations up to 10 micrograms/ml, BQR did not affect concanavalin A (Con A)-induced human peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation or IL-6 production by blood mononuclear leucocytes. In contrast, the drug was very effective in inhibiting IL-6-stimulated IgM production by SKW 6.4 cells, with an optimal inhibitory concentration of 0.3 microgram/ml. As expected, addition of exogenous uridine (0.1 mM), the precursor of uridine triphosphate (UTP), reversed the inhibitory effect of BQR on antibody production, while cytidine (0.1 mM) potentiated the inhibitory activity of the drug. It was further demonstrated that the inhibition of IgM production was unrelated to DNA synthesis, indicating that BQR may affect IL-6 signal transduction and IgM production in SKW 6.4 cells independent of any effect on cell proliferation.