LEUKOCYTE INTERLEUKIN-1-LIKE ACTIVITY IN THE COMMON SEAL (PHOCA-VITULINA) AND GREY SEAL (HALICHOERUS-GRYPUS)

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is an important cytokine with predominantly proin flammatory activities, which have been characterized in many mammals. This study showed the production of IL-1-like bioactivity by cultured seal leucocytes. Increasing concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0-1 mu g/ml) stimulated an increase in measurable IL-1-like activity in cell culture supernates. This activity increased for the first 24 h after LPS stimulation and the substance responsible had an apparent molecular weight of 17 kDa on gel filtration, similar to that describe d for other species. Specificity of the bioassay used was confirmed by blocking the bioactivity with an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 ra). (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited