IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNO-ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC DETECTION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA-INDUCING FACTOR (INTERLEUKIN-18) IN MOUSE INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS
M. Takeuchi et al., IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNO-ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC DETECTION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA-INDUCING FACTOR (INTERLEUKIN-18) IN MOUSE INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS, Cell and tissue research, 289(3), 1997, pp. 499-503
The novel cytokine interferon-gamma-inducing factor (''interleukin-18'
') is produced by macrophage-like cells in mice with endotoxin shock a
nd induces the production of interferon-gamma by T cells in vitro. To
determine the physiological role for mouse interferon-gamma-inducing f
actor, we studied its tissue distribution in several organs (intestine
, spleen, thymus, kidney, and liver) in healthy mice of different ages
, including fetal stages. Activity of the cytokine in the organ extrac
ts of adult mice was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, an
d the cellular distribution of interferon-gamma-inducing factor in org
ans from fetal and adult mice was determined by immunohistochemistry.
Intestinal extracts of adult mice showed the highest concentrations am
ong the organs studied. Other organ extracts of adult mice showed lowe
r concentrations of the cytokine. Immunohistochemical analysis reveale
d that interferon-gamma-inducing factor was localized in the cytoplasm
of intestinal epithelial cells from fetal and adult mice. These resul
ts show for the first time that intestinal epithelial cells may be the
main producers of interferon-gamma-inducing factor under normal physi
ological conditions and suggest that its constitutive expression in in
testinal epithelial cells may have an important role in the induction
of mucosal immunity.