Theoylline Induced Non Specific Suppressor Activity in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
It is well known that theophylline yields phenotypic changes on suppresor cells. The possibility that theophylline could directly induce a suppressor activity on a lymphocyte subpopulation was investigated. A short preincubation (120 min at 37.degree. C) with theophylline (1 nM) activates human peripheral blood lymphocytes to suppress mitogenic response of autologous cells. This activity was not evident on a T cell subpopulation depleted of theophylline-sensitive (T-sens) lymphocytes. Theophylline mediated suppressor activity is only present in the concanavalin A stimulated cultures, suggesting a synergism between concanavlin A and theophylline in the expression of non specific suppression after a 24 h preincubation of lymphocytes in complete culture medium there was a complete loss of theophylline-induced suppression. Such a preincubation time also produced a decrease in the theophylline-mediated enhancement of intracellular cAMP levels and the impairtment of E-rosette formation, suggesting that theophylline acts mainly on a short-lived suppressor lymphocyte subset.