[The capability of IL-1 in the induction of chemokine production by murine thymic epithelial cell (MTEC1) clones].

ABSTRACT

To analyze the capability of IL-1 and IL-6 in the induction of chemokine (CF) production by mouse thymus epithelial cell (MTEC1) clones, MTEC1 cells were cloned through one cell culture and individual cell clones were established in long term culture referred to as MTEC1-DW clones. The constitutive production of IL-1, IL-6 and CF by MTEC1-DW clones was evaluated and the patterns of the cytokine production determined. Addition of exogenous IL-1 or IL-6 or both to the cultures of those MTEC1-DW clones that are unable to produce CF, and incubated for 2 days, then, to assess the chemotactic activity in the cell culture supernatants (SNs). In the opposite, addition of anti-IL-1 mAb(s) to the cultures of those MTEC1-DW clones that can produce IL-1 and CF to neutralize secreted IL-1 then, to test chemotactic activity in the SNs after 2-day incubation. The results showed that in the MTEC1-DW clones which were unable to constitutively produce IL-1 or CF, addition of IL-1 could induce these cloned cells to produce CF with high chemotactic activity. By constrast, addition of anti-IL-1 mAb(s) to those MTEC1-DW clones that constitutively produce IL-1 and CF could significantly inhibit them to produce CF. IL-6 only exhibited weak activity in the induction of CF production by those cloned cells. Therefore, in the cytokine network regulation, CF production is mainly induced by endogenously produced IL-1 in MTEC1 cells.