The SKW 6.4 line of human B lymphocytes specifically binds and responds to vasoactive intestinal peptide

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP1-28) is a neuromediator recognized by high-affinity receptors on human lymphocytes, which inhibits T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion, and suppresses immunoglobulin production by mitogen-stimulated mixed mononuclear leucocytes. The direct interactions of VIP1-28 with B cells were studied in the SKW 6.4 line of EBV-transformed human B cells, that express a mean (+/- SD) of 6116 +/- 969 receptors for [125I]VIP1-28 with a mean Kd of 59 nM, that decreases to 12 nM after exposure to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The secretion of IgM by SKW 6.4 B cells stimulated optimally with 100 ng/ml of PMA, but not unstimulated secretion of IgM, was suppressed significantly by 10(-12) M to 10(-9) M VIP1-28 and up to a mean maximum (+/- SD) of 40 +/- 2% by 10(-10) M VIP1-28. VIP1-28 elicited concomitant increases in intracellular cyclic AMP up to a mean maximum of 163% at 10(-10) M VIP1-28. The requirement for specific signal transduction by the occupied VIP receptors to inhibit IgM secretion was demonstrated by the lack of effect of VIP4-28 on both cyclic AMP concentration and IgM secretion, despite the equal affinity of binding of VIP4-28 and VIP1-28. The effects of VIP on immunoglobulin secretion by stimulated mixed mononuclear leucocytes thus may be due in part to a direct action on B cells.