INSULIN-DEPENDENT REDUCTION IN HEPATIC AND SPLENIC CONTENTS OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is a polypeptide produced by a variety of cells of hematological, dermal and neural origin. We have investiga ted the effect of type I diabetes mellitus and insulin treatment on ti ssue levels of IL-1 beta using streptozotocin (STZ)-treated mouse as a n animal model. Diabetes affected IL-1 beta in a tissue specific manne r. For example, IL-1 beta levels (as measured by ELISA) were markedly decreased in the liver and spleen of the STZ diabetic mice. In contras t, the levels of this cytokine remained unalatered in other tissues in cluding kidney, testis, hippocampus and pituitary. Insulin treatment r estored the diabetes-related decreases in liver and spleen IL-1 beta l evels. Overall, the present data suggest that the abnormalities in hep atic and splenic IL-1 beta levels may contribute, at least in part, to the immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to infection in dia betes mellitus.