Regulation by IFN-β of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Interleukin-12/p40 in Murine Macrophages Cultured in the Presence ofChlamydia pneumoniaeAntigens

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Abstract
Chlamydia pneumoniae has been demonstrated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Interferon-β (IFN-β) has favorable effects on the clinical course of MS. We investigated whether the beneficial effects of IFN-β in MS may involve its role in regulating nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in macrophages, as these immune modulators form part of the innate immune response to intracellular pathogens, such as C. pneumoniae. Murine macrophages in cultures exposed to elementary body antigens or recombinant major outer membrane protein (rMOMP) of C. pneumoniae demonstrate a significant increase in NO as well as production of IL-12/p40 in culture supernatants compared with basal levels. Addition of murine IFN-β increased NO activity in murine macrophages cultured with chlamydial antigens. Addition of neutralizing anti-IFN-β antibody prevented the NO increase. In contrast to its effect on inducible NO synthase (iNOS), IFN-β reduced induction of IL-12/p40 following culture with either elementary body antigens or rMOMP. Inhibition was reversed with anti-IFN-β antibody. If C. pneumoniae infection is responsible for the inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of MS, the beneficial effects of IFN-β in MS may be due to its enhancing intracellular NO activity while inhibiting secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-12.