Immunomodulation by an adenylate cyclase activator, NKH477, in vivo and vitro

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an intracellular second messenger which modulates T cell function. NKH477 is a direct adenylate cyclase activator derived from forskolin and now under clinical investigation as a positive inotropic agent. While the immunosuppressive effects of forskolin on lymphocytes have been reported, little is known about its effects in vivo. In this study, we investigated whether NKH477 has immunosuppressive effects in mice, namely on cardiac allograft survival, and on the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), T cell proliferation in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), and production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in MLR and in mitogen response. We assessed the effects of standard immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA) on IL-2 production and on allograft survival to estimate the intensity of rejection in this acute rejection model. Saline-treated C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice rejected DBA/2 (H-2d) cardiac allografts with a median graft survival time of 10 days. In contrast, median graft survival was prolonged to 12 and 15 days in mice treated with NKH477 at 1 and 3 mg/kg/day, respectively (P < 0.01 vs control). The equivalent dose of CsA (40 mg/kg/day) to the maintenance dose after clinical cardiac transplantation prolonged median graft survival time to 15.5 days, indicating that high dose of NKH477 was as efficacious as lower dose of CsA. Addition of NKH477 to the culture medium suppressed the generation of CTL, T cell proliferation in MLR, and production of IL-2 in MLR and in mitogen response. These results suggest that NKH477 exerts a beneficial effect on murine cardiac allograft survival by modulating T cell function.