The influence of IL-1 treatment on the reconstitution of the hemopoietic and immune systems after sublethal radiation
Morrissey, P.; Charrier, K.; Bressler, L.; Alpert, A.
Journal of Immunology 140(12): 4204-4210
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 3286769 Document Number: 312953
The influence of IL-1 administration on the recovery of the hemopoietic and immune systems from sublethal irradiation was assessed. Mice were irradiated (750 R) and injected twice daily with purified recombinant derived IL-1.beta. (200 ng/injection). At various times after irradiation, the functional capacity of the hemopoietic and immune systems was determined. It was found that IL-1 therapy resulted in a significantly greater number of granuloctye-macrophage-CSF responsive colony-forming cells in the bone marrow of the irradiated mice on days 5 and 11 postirradiation but not at later times. In addition the radiation induced neutropenia recovered quicker in the IL-1 treated mice with significantly greater numbers of peripheral blood granulocytes being seen on days 15 and 20 after irradiation. The influence of IL-1 therapy on the recovery of the immune system was also assessed. Of note was the observation that mice receiving IL-1 therpay had chronically hypoplastic thymi. Although thymic cellularity increased with time after irradiation in the control mice, there was no such increase in the IL-1-treated mice. Similarly, the number of pre-B cells in the marrow of these mice was also diminshed. Thus, in the IL-1-treated mice the regeneration of the peripheral immune function was retarded, characterized by a general lymphopenia and decreased splenic responses to mitogenetic stimuli.