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Thymomodulin increases release of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and of tumour necrosis factor in
Insights
Thymomodulin (TMD) enhances immune responses by stimulating lymphocytes to release granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). It also modulates macrophage-lymphocyte interactions, increasing tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and GM-CSF release.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Thymomodulin (TMD) is a thymic biological response modifier.
- Cytokines play crucial roles in lung immune reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate TMD's effects on cytokine release from human alveolar macrophages (AM) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL).
Main Methods:
- Human AM and PBL were cultured alone and in co-cultures.
- Cytokine levels (gamma-IFN, IL-1, TNF, GM-CSF) were measured after TMD treatment.
Main Results:
- TMD increased tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in AM-PBL co-cultures.
- TMD alone stimulated PBL to secrete increased GM-CSF.
- TMD did not affect cytokine release from AM alone.
Conclusions:
- TMD directly stimulates lymphocytes to secrete GM-CSF.
- TMD modulates macrophage-lymphocyte interactions, influencing TNF and GM-CSF release.
Abstract:
To evaluate the effects of thymomodulin (TMD), a thymic biological response modifier derived from calf thymus, on the release of various cytokines involved in the lung immune reactions, human alveolar macrophages (AM) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were cultured either alone or in co-cultures. In co-cultures of AM with PBL, TMD did not induce any change in gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion, while it was able to increase the level, of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) (TMD 100 micrograms.m-1, p < 0.05 vs control cultures), and of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (TMD 1, 10 and 100 micrograms.ml-1 p < 0.05, < 0.05 and < 0.01, respectively, vs control cultures). In cultures of AM alone, TMD did not induce changes in the levels of any of the tested cytokines, whilst in supernatants from PBL lymphocyte cultures, TMD at 1, 10 and 100 micrograms.ml-1 increased the amounts of GM-CSF (p < 0.01 each comparison vs control cultures). Thus, TMD seems to directly stimulate lymphocytes to secrete GM-CSF and to modulate macrophage-lymphocyte interactions, resulting in the release of TNF and GM-CSF.