J. Louahed et al., DIFFERENTIAL ACTIVITY OF DEXAMETHASONE ON IL-2-INDUCED, IL-4-INDUCED,OR IL-9-INDUCED PROLIFERATION OF MURINE FACTOR-DEPENDENT T-CELL LINES, The Journal of immunology, 156(10), 1996, pp. 3704-3710
Mouse helper T cell lines were developed that proliferate permanently
without Ag and APCs in response to either IL-2, IL-4, or IL-9, three c
ytokines whose receptors interact with the IL-2R gamma-chain for signa
l transduction. Depending on the growth factor, a marked difference wa
s observed regarding the ability of dexamethasone (DEX) to inhibit cel
l proliferation. In three different cell lines, proliferation induced
by IL-2 was completely arrested, while that supported by IL-9 was hard
ly affected. With IL-4, proliferation was also maintained but less mar
kedly than with IL-9. Although DEX was able to induce apoptosis in the
se cells, the inhibition of IL-2-induced proliferation was not the res
ult of apoptosis, as this process was equally antagonized by all three
factors. Moreover, addition of IL-4 or IL-9 to cultures previously in
cubated with IL-2 and DEX for several days restored cell proliferation
. Finally, autonomous cell variants derived from the factor-dependent
cell lines were still protected by IL-4 and IL-9 against growth inhibi
tion by DEX. Together, these results indicate that growth stimulation
in the presence of glucocorticoids and inhibition of apoptosis involve
distinct aspects of cytokine activities.