The suppressive effect of mouse recombinant interferon-beta (IFN β) on B cell differentiation of MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/l) mouse, a model of autoimmune disease, was investigated. Purified spleen mononuclear cells were cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharide, and IFN β was examined for the suppressive activity on differentiation of B cells to immunoglobulin-producing cells by highy sensitive reversed hemolytic plaque assay. IFN β (500-10, 000units/m
l) suppressed more than 50% of PFCs of both young and old MRL/l mice. This activity was abrogated by administration of 20μ
l/mouse of anti asialo GM1 12h before cultivation of lymphocytes.
These results suggest that natural killer cells activated by IFN β suppressed differentiation or maturation of B cells stimulated LPS and might be important to clarify the regulation of immunoglobulin-producing cells in auto-immune diseases.
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