Impact of plastic adhesion in vitro on analysis of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and immune cell distribution from mice with multiple low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Tetrandrine inhibits differentiation of proinflammatory subsets of T helper cells but spares de novo differentiation of iTreg cells

Tetrandrine (TET) is an anti-inflammatory compound isolated from Chinese herb Stephania tetrandra S. Moore. It was reported recently that the differentiation of Th17 cells was inhibited, while the generation of induced Treg cells (iTregs) was promoted, by TET treatment. We therefore carefully examined the effect of TET on the differentiation of four major subsets of T helper cells. The results showed that in vitro treatment with TET potently inhibited the differentiation of Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells. Administration of LPS resulted in a mixed Th1, Th2 and Th17 responses in normal mice, and such effect of LPS was inhibited by in vivo TET treatment as well. In contrast, TET did not promote or inhibit the in vitro generation of iTregs from naïve CD4⁺CD25^-Foxp3/gfp^- T cells. Furthermore, spontaneous and rapamycin-induced conversion of naïve CD4⁺CD25^-Foxp3/gfp^- T cells into Foxp3-expressing iTregs in congenic mice was not affected by TET treatment. Thus, TET had the capacity to inhibit the differentiation of proinflammatory Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells, while sparing the generation of Tregs. As a Treg-friendly and broad spectrum anti-inflammatory agent, the molecular mechanism and the therapeutic potential of TET in various human inflammatory diseases should be further studied.

Postimmunization with IFN-γ-Secreting Glioma Cells Combined with the Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor Mercaptoethylguanidine Prolongs Survival of Rats with Intracerebral Tumors

High-grade gliomas are one of the most aggressive human tumors with <1% of patients surviving 5 years after surgery. Immunotherapy could offer a possibility to eradicate remnant tumor cells after conventional therapy. Experimental immunotherapy can induce partial cure of established intracerebral tumors in several rodent models. One reason for the limited therapeutic effects could be immunosuppression induced by both the growing tumor and the induced immune reaction. NO has been implicated in tumor-derived immune suppression in tumor-bearing hosts, and unspecific inhibitors of NO synthase have been shown to boost antitumor immunity. In this study, we show that the inducible NO synthase (iNOS)-specific inhibitor mercaptoethylguanidine (MEG) superiorly enhanced lymphocyte reactivity after polyclonal stimulation compared with the iNOS-specific inhibitor L-NIL and the unspecific NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. Both iNOS inhibitors increased the number and proliferation of T cells but not of B cells. When combined during postimmunization with IFN-gamma-secreting N32 rat glioma cells of rats harboring intracerebral tumors, only MEG increased the cure rate. However, this was only achieved when MEG was administered after immunizations. These findings implicate that NO has both enhancing and suppressive effects after active immunotherapy.

Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase enhances anti-tumour immune responses in rats immunized with IFN-gamma-secreting glioma cells

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) has successfully been used in immunotherapy of different experimental tumours. Mechanistically, IFN-gamma has extensive effects on the immune system including release of nitric oxide (NO) by upregulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). NO has putative immunosuppressive effects but could also play a role in killing of tumour cells. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to clarify whether inhibition of iNOS in rats immunized with glioma cells (N32) producing IFN-gamma (N32-IFN-gamma), could enhance the anti-tumour immune response. Initially, both a selective iNOS, l-N(6)-(1-Iminoethyl)-l-lysine (l-NIL), and non-selective, N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), inhibitor of NOS were tested in vitro. After polyclonal stimulation with LPS and SEA, both l-NIL and l-NAME enhanced proliferation and production of IFN-gamma from activated rat splenocytes and this effect was inversely correlated to the production of NO. However, l-NIL had a broader window of efficacy and a lower minimal effective dose. When rats were immunized with N32-IFN-gamma, and administered NOS inhibitors by intraperitoneal (i.p.) mini-osmotic pumps, only splenocytes of rats treated with l-NIL, but not l-NAME, displayed an enhanced proliferation and production of IFN-gamma when re-stimulated with N32 tumour cells. Based on these findings, l-NIL was administered concurrently with N32-IFN-gamma cells to rats with intracerebral (i.c.) tumours resulting in a prolonged survival. These results show that inhibition of iNOS can enhance an IFN-gamma-based immunotherapy of experimental i.c. tumours implying that NO released after immunization has mainly immunosuppressive net effects.