IL-10 deficiency does not inhibit insulitis and accelerates cyclophosphamide-induced diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse

IL-10 exterts profound immunostimulatory and immunoinhibitory effects. To e xplore the role of IL-10 in autoimmune diabetes of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, we generated IL-10-deficient NOD mice. In contrast to our previous re sults with neutralizing antibodies to IL-10, IL-10-deficient NOD mice devel oped insulitis and their splenocytes readily responded to islet antigen glu tamic acid decarboxylase 65, IL-10-deficient NOD mice did not develop accel erated spontaneous diabetes. On the other hand, IL-10-deficient NOD mice de veloped accelerated disease following cyclophosphamide (CYP) injection. The se findings demonstrate that; IL-10 is dispensable for autoimmune diabetes, IL-10's absence fails to accelerate endogenous diabetes but potentiates CY P-induced diabetes. (C) 2000 Academic Press.