Abstract
Among a series of agents, including various interleukins and growth factors, only interferon γ (IFNγ) and heat‐killed Corynebacterium parvum (CP) organisms were able to elicit, within 24 hr, tumoricidal activity in bone‐marrow‐derived mononuclear (BMM) phagocytes. In subsequent experiments, the abilities of interferon β (IFNβ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and transforming growth factor β (TFGβ), alone or in combinations of 2, to modulate tumoricidal activity triggered in BMM phagocytes by IFNγ or CP, were compared. In concentrations secreted by macrophages under physiological conditions, these agents proved potent in modulating induction and/or expression of tumoricidal activity. However, their ability to interfere with tumoricidal activity varied considerably, depending on the extent of macrophage differentiation and/or functional responsiveness, the pathway of macrophage activation, the type, concentration and combination of the macrophage secretory molecules, and on whether the agents were present during induction and expression or only during expression of tumoricidal activity. In showing that IFNβ and TNFα were mostly enhancing and TGFβ mostly suppressive, whereas PGE2 suppressed induction but enhanced expression of tumoricidal activity, our findings provide further support for the concept that these macrophage‐derived molecules have a key role in autocrine regulation of macrophage functional activities.