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Differential effect of dexamethasone on lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobin production in vitro

The present study investigated the effect of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), on concanavalin (ConA)-induced lymphoproliferation and immunoglobin M (IgM) production by pig lymphocytes in vitro. Blood was obtained from male, crossbred pigs (n=36 pigs/experiment; 40-45 days of age) and lymphocytes obtained by density gradient centrifugation over Lymphoprep (Nycomed, Oslo, Norway). Lymphocytes were plated in 96-well plates at 1 X 105 cells/well in DME/F12 containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM L-glutamine, 10 uM 2-mercaptoethanol, ConA (0 to 10 ug/ml) and/or DEX (0 to 10−6 M). Cultures were incubated for 96 h and lymphoproliferation determined using the CellTiter proliferation assay (Promega, Madison, WI). In replicate cultures, supernatants were removed and IgM production determined using an ELISA specific for pig IgM. As expected, ConA induced a dose-dependent increase (P < .01) in lymphoproliferation and IgM production with maximal effects occurring at .6 and 1.25 ug/ml, respectively. Although not effecting basal lymphoproliferation, DEX dosedependently inhibited (P < .01) ConA-induced (0.3 and 1.25 ug/ml) lymphoproliferation with maximal effects occurring at 1 x 10−8 M. However, the suppressive effects of DEX (1 x 10−8 M) on lymphoproliferation could be overcome (P < .05) with the addition of higher concentrations of ConA (5 to 10 ug/ml). Similarly, when cells were stimulated with low concentrations of ConA (.3 ug/ml), DEX dose-dependently inhibited (P < 0.01) IgM production with maximal effects occurring at 10−8 M. In contrast, in cultures treated with 1.25 ug/ml ConA, low concentrations of DEX (10−10 to 10−9 M) actually augmented (P < .05) IgM production. Furthermore, DEX (10−8 M) induced additional 1.7 to 1.9 fold increases (P < .05) in IgM production by lymphocyte cultures treated with higher concentrations of ConA (2.5 to 10 ug/ml, respectively). Collectively, these results demonstrate that glucocorticoids have primarily a suppressive effect on lymphocyte proliferation, but can augment immunoglobin production depending on both the degree of lymphocyte stimulation and the concentration of glucocorticoid.