Modulation of in vitro porcine natural killer cell activity by recombinant interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-2 and interleukin-4.

In order to understand better how cytokines modulate porcine lymphocyte-mediated natural cytotoxicity and to develop a rapid and reliable colorimetric assay to study that activity in young pigs, we studied inherent and cytokine induced in vitro natural killer (NK) activity. The cytokines we studied were human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-2, IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Natural killer activity by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), reported as per cent specific lysis (%SL), was determined by the colorimetric measurement of lactate dehydrogenase released from tumour cell targets, YAC-1 and K562. Inherent NK activity was low and remained relatively unchanged by alterations of assay length or effector cell concentration. Low NK activity was also observed in response to IL-4 and IFN-gamma. IL-2 and, to a lesser extent, IL-1 alpha induced significant NK activity with trends towards increasing %SL with increasing cytokine dose. Optimal IL-1 alpha- and IL-2-induced NK activity could be observed at 18 hr, with significant activity stimulated by IL-2 as early as 4 hr. IL-2-induced NK activity was sensitive to effector cell concentration; %SL decreased as the effector to target ratio decreased. IL-1 alpha- and IL-2-induced NK activities were decreased in the presence of IL-4. These results indicate porcine PBMC are sensitive to in vitro modulation by human recombinant IL-1 alpha, IL-2 and IL-4. The ability of IL-1 alpha and IL-2 to induce swine NK activity and the ability of IL-4 to inhibit that activity are similar to the actions of those cytokines in human NK systems.

Cytotoxic and hemolytic effects of Tritrichomonas foetus on mammalian cells.

Geographically distinct lines of Tritrichomonas foetus were assayed for their ability to cause cytotoxicity in nucleated mammalian cells and lysis of bovine erythrocytes. T. foetus was highly cytotoxic toward a human cervical cell line (HeLa) and early bovine lymphosarcoma (BL-3) but displayed low levels of cytotoxicity against African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells. In addition to variation in the extent of cytotoxicity toward different targets, differences in the levels of cytotoxicity in the same nucleated target occurred with different parasite lines. Whole T. foetus, unfractionated whole-cell extracts, and parasite-conditioned medium (RPMI 1640 without serum) all caused lysis of bovine erythrocytes. Lytic activity in the conditioned medium was substantially reduced by repeated freezing and thawing or heating to 90 degrees C for 30 min. Damage of mammalian target cells by live T. foetus could be reduced by the presence of protease inhibitors; however, such inhibitors did not diminish the lytic effects of conditioned medium. These results suggested that proteolytic enzymes were necessary for the lytic mechanism of the live parasites but were not required once lytic factors were released into the parasite-conditioned medium. They further suggested that the lytic molecules were either proteins or had proteinaceous components.

Identification of Tritrichomonas foetus in sections of bovine placental tissue with monoclonal antibodies.

Sections of bovine placenta from cases of bovine trichomoniasis were examined for the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus by standard histological methods using phase-contrast microscopy and by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) employing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for T. foetus. Parasites were identified readily in deparaffinized tissue up to 4 yr old by IFA with 2 mAbs previously shown to bind to the surface of living T. foetus. These results indicated that the IFA provided a rapid and specific method of identifying T. foetus in tissue sections as compared to standard histological methods.

Bovine costimulator. I. Production kinetics, partial purification, and quantification in serum-free Iscove's medium.

Bovine peripheral blood leukocytes were examined for blast transformation in response to T-cell lectins in serum-containing RPMI 1640 medium and serum-free Iscove's medium. Phytohemagglutinin-induced blastogenesis was significantly greater in Iscove's medium than in RPMI containing ten percent fetal calf serum. Concanavalin A-induced blast transformation was equivalent in both media. However, the kinetics of lectin response and the quantity of lectin required for optimum blastogenesis was considerably different in the two culture media. Concanavalin A-induced blast transformation of bovine thymocytes in Iscove's medium revealed that a concentration of 10(6) cells/ml, inconsequential blastogenesis ensued; but at 10(7) cells/ml blast transformation was significant and dose-dependent. Therefore, conditioned media from concanavalin A-stimulated bovine peripheral blood leukocytes, prepared in serum-free Iscove's medium, were assayed for costimulator activity using bovine thymocytes at 10(6) cells/ml in Iscove's medium as indicator cells. Both optimum lectin requirements and cell concentrations for production of costimulator activity were found. Conditioned medium, operated with the total exclusion of serum and with optimal costimulator activity, was fractionated via gel exclusion chromatography. A quantitative assay was described, and results indicated that bovine costimulator had an approximate molecular weight of 20,000 daltons.

Bovine costimulator. II. Generation and maintenance of a bovine costimulator-dependent bovine lymphoblastoid cell line.

Bovine peripheral blood leukocytes, activated with concanavalin A, were cultured in bovine costimulator-containing conditioned medium prepared in a totally defined, serum-free medium. A population of leukocytes subsequently grew exponentially. These bovine cells had the morphology of lymphoblasts, were negative for chloroacetate esterase, slightly positive for conspecific esterases, and highly peanut agglutinin-positive. These data suggested that the bovine leukocytes were of the T-cell lineage and that the active factor in the costimulator-containing conditioned medium might be the bovine equivalent of interleukin 2. A quantitative microassay, subsequently developed, revealed that the lymphoblastoid cell line was costimulator-dependent and lectin-independent. Further utilization of the microassay supported this contention and strengthened the concept of a bovine interleukin 2-dependent bovine T-cell line: Phytohemagglutin-M, phytohemagglutinin-P, and concanavalin A induced active factor from peripheral blood leukocytes, while lipopolysaccharide, a potent inducer of Interleukin 1 in other systems, failed to induce activity; and both T-cells and macrophages were required for optimal factor activity. Finally, a means by which to optimize production of the active moiety, utilizing lymph node cells, as opposed to peripheral blood leukocytes, was examined.