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Cutting edge: is vasoactive intestinal peptide a type 2 cytokine?
Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
|February 24, 2001
Summary
T helper 2 (Th2) cells, but not Th1 cells, express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) upon antigen stimulation. This suggests VIP may function as a type 2 cytokine, bridging the immune and nervous systems.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Immune and nervous systems communicate via shared chemical signals, including neuropeptides.
- T lymphocytes express neuropeptides, such as vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differential expression of VIP among T helper cell subsets.
- To explore the potential role of VIP as a type 2 cytokine.
Main Methods:
- T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, T1, T2) from TCR transgenic mice were stimulated with specific antigens.
- VIP mRNA and protein expression, and secretion were measured.
- VIP levels in serum and intracellular VIP in T cells were assessed in vivo after immunization.
Main Results:
- Antigen stimulation induced VIP mRNA, protein expression, and secretion in Th2 and T2 cells, but not in Th1 or T1 cells.
- Serum VIP levels were elevated in hosts receiving Th2 cells post-immunization.
- Intracellular VIP was detected in Th2 cells recovered from immunized hosts.
Conclusions:
- T helper 2 cells selectively produce and secrete VIP upon antigen-specific activation.
- VIP's production by Th2 cells and its differential effects on T cell subsets support its classification as a type 2 cytokine.
- VIP represents a key molecular link between the immune and nervous systems.