W. Daubener et al., Inducible anti-parasitic effector mechanisms in human uroepithelial cells:tryptophan degradation vs. NO production, MED MICROBI, 187(3), 1999, pp. 143-147
In murine cells the most important effector mechanism directed against the
intracellular pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is the production of toxic nitroge
n oxides. In contrast the induction of the tryptophan degrading enzyme indo
lamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) has been described to be the most effective an
ti-parasitic mechanism in most human cells. In this report we analysed IDO
induction and NO production in the human uroepithelial carcinoma cell line
RT4. We found that after stimulation with IFN-gamma these cells were able t
o restrict toxoplasma growth. This was due to an activation of IDO, and the
anti-parasitic effect mediated by RT4 cells was abrogated by the addition
of L-tryptophan. In addition we found that the costimulation of RT4 cells w
ith IL-1 and IFN-gamma results in the production of nitric oxide, and that
in RT4 cells stimulated with both these cytokines, IDO activity and toxopla
smostasis was lower than in cells stimulated with IFN-gamma alone. This IL-
1-mediated inhibition of IFN-gamma-induced IDO activity and toxoplasmostasi
s could be blocked by monomethyl L-arginine, an inhibitor of NO production.
We therefore conclude that the induction of indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase act
ivity in human cells is a very important effector mechanism directed agains
t Toxoplasma gondii, and that in human cells the production of NO might be
involved in the regulation of IDO activity.