Modulation of T lymphocyte function by neuropeptides. Evidence for their role as local immunoregulatory elements

In mucosa-bearing organs with inherent lymphoid populations, classical modes for control of the immune response may be augmented by products of extrinsic sensory afferent nerve endings which arborize through the lamina propria compartment containing large numbers of T and B lymphocytes. Therefore, we sought to determine the role of neuropeptides (substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and somatostatin) in immune response regulation by using a homogeneous line of T lymphocytes (AO40.1 hybrid), whose activation is driven by a specific Ag (OVA) and where the end point (IL-2 release) could not be contributed to by accessory or other cells. IL-2 was quantitated by the rate of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) metabolism with the use of a murine CD4+ IL-2-dependent T lymphocyte line, and dose-response effects of each neuropeptide were examined over a broad concentration range (10(-14)-10(-6) M) encompassing that regarded as physiologic. Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulated IL-2 release at low concentrations with a marked effect at 10(-14) M that gradually returned to control levels by 10(-7) M. Somatostatin was associated with a substantial augmentation of AO40.1 T lymphocyte IL-2 release at 10(-10) to 10(-8) M concentrations, whereas substance P demonstrated a stimulatory effect only at high concentrations (10(-9) to 10(-6) M). Concomitant [3H]thymidine uptake studies suggested that changes in cell proliferation or viability did not account for neuropeptide-induced effects in our system. With several exceptions, similar results were found with mitogen (Con A)-stimulated AO40.1 cells and human colonic lamina propria mononuclear cells. It was concluded that the three study neuropeptides, over a broad range of concentrations, have profound stimulatory (and occasionally inhibitory) effects upon the function of a cloned T lymphocyte hybrid cell responding to specific Ag and that these events may reflect those of Ag-driven mucosal T lymphocytes exposed to neuropeptides in vivo.