Cytokine production in arthritis susceptible and resistant rats: A study with arthritogenic and non-arthritogenic Lactobacillus cell walls

The basis of the different susceptibility to bacterial cell wall-induced ar thritis between Lewis and Fischer rats is unclear. Likewise, it is not know n why cell walls of some species of Lactobacillus are arthritogenic and tho se of others are not. With these two questions in mind. we investigated the role of anti-inflammatory (interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4) and proinflammatory (tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1 beta) cytokines in Lewis and Fisc her rats injected intraperitoneally with cell walls from arthritogenic or n onarthritogenic species of Lactobacillus. Cytokine levels in the serum and in vitro production by peritoneal macrophages and splenocytes were studied. The results obtained indicate that the differences in the production of IL -10, IL-4, TNF-alpha or IL-1 beta do not explain the difference in the arth ritis susceptibility between Lewis and Fischer rats. Likewise, the arthrito genicity of different Lactobacillus cell walls appears not to be dependent on their capacity to stimulate cytokine production.