Murine Thymocytes Proliferate in Direct Response to Interleukin-7

• Published in: Blood 1989-09, Vol.74 (4), p.1368-1373
• Main Authors: Conlon, Paul J., Morrissey, Philip J., Nordan, Richard P., Grabstein, Kenneth H., Prickett, Kathryn S., Reed, Steven G., Goodwin, Raymond, Cosman, David, Namen, Anthony E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Animals; Binding, Competitive; Biological and medical sciences; Cell cycle, cell proliferation; Cell Differentiation; Cell physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immune Sera - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-2 - metabolism; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Interleukin-4; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-7; Interleukins - biosynthesis; Interleukins - immunology; Interleukins - metabolism; Interleukins - pharmacology; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular and cellular biology; Phytohemagglutinins - pharmacology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - physiology
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V74.4.1368.1368

The ability of interleukin-7 (IL-7) to stimulate murine thymocyte proliferation was investigated. IL-7, either alone or in concert with lectin, induced proliferation of adult thymocytes as well as day 13 fetal and adult CD4−/CD8− thymocytes. The IL-7-induced proliferative response of unfractionated thymocytes could not be inhibited by antibodies to IL-2, or IL-4, IL-6, or the IL-2 receptor. In addition, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 were not produced by thymocytes activated with IL-7, as judged by the absence of biologically active cytokine in IL-7-stimulated culture supernatants. IL-7 could act in concert with IL-2 and IL-4 or with IL-4 to enhance the proliferative response of thymocyte cultures. Thus, IL-7 may cause proliferation of thymocytes directly, not indirectly, through production of IL-2, IL-4, or IL-6. IL-7 may then play a significant role in differentiation of T lymphocytes.