RESPONSIVENESS OF MURINE LYMPHOKINE-ACTIVATED KILLER ACTIVITY TO PROSTAGLANDIN E(2) AT LATE-PHASE OF INTERLEUKIN-2 INDUCTION

To elucidate the inhibitory effect of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) on t he generation of recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced lymphokine-a ctivated killer (LAK) activity, we have examined the association betwe en cellular 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cytolytic activity of 3-day IL-2-cultured murine LAK cells, i.e. at late phase o f IL-2 induction, in the presence and absence of PGE(2). The results i ndicate that, at the late phase of IL-2 induction, LAK cells retain th eir responsiveness to PGE(2) inhibition, and the inhibition can be par tially suppressed by additional IL-2 in proportion to the decrease in the ratios of stimulated to basal cellular cAMP levels.