Analysis of the capacity to produce IL-3 in murine AIDS

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Adult C57BL/6 mice infected with LP-BM5 murine leukaemia virus represent a model of murine AIDS (MAIDS). In this study we have analysed the capacity of CD4+ T cells from infected mice to produce IL-3 following stimulation with ConA for 24-72 h. In contrast to the position with IL-2, the production of which is markedly impaired during LP-BM5 infection, similar levels of IL-3 were measured in culture supernatants of splenocytes from infected and uninfected mice harvested at 24 h of stimulation. Forty eight and 72 h of ConA stimulation led to increasing levels of IL-3 being measured in cultures from uninfected mice, whilst in cultures from infected animals, IL-3 levels remained stagnant. Similar results were obtained 4, 8 and 13 weeks post-infection. In view of the fact that parallel experiments revealed markedly impaired proliferative responses to ConA during MAIDS, we conclude that IL-3 production is basically intact at the cellular level in T cells during MAIDS; but when in a situation requiring clonal expansion of the activated T cells, IL-3 production will be inhibited owing to the impaired capacity for proliferation.
Original languageEnglish
JournalScandinavian Journal of Immunology
Volume40
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)410-4
Number of pages4
ISSN0300-9475
Publication statusPublished - 1994

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Animals; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Female; Interleukin-3; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Spleen

ID: 9701804