IL-10 induces gene expression in macrophages: partial overlap with IL-5 but not with IL-4 induced genes.

The hypothesis that IL-10, in addition to down-regulating pro-inflammatory activities of macrophages, induces an alternative state of macrophage reactivity was tested. We therefore conducted a systematic search for genes induced by IL-10 using the method of suppression subtractive hybridisation. Of an initial 1,300 candidate clones obtained, several screening rounds led to the identification of 51 clones which were reproducibly at least twofold up-regulated in mouse J774 macrophages in response to treatment with IL-10.

Cholera toxin B pretreatment of macrophages and monocytes diminishes their proinflammatory responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide.

The cholera toxin B chain (CTB) has been reported to suppress T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases and to potentiate tolerance of the adaptive immune system. We have analyzed the effects of CTB on macrophages in vitro and have found that preincubation with CTB (10 microg/ml) suppresses the proinflammatory reaction to LPS challenge, as demonstrated by suppressed production of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-12(p70), and NO (p < 0.01) in cells of macrophage lines.