gms | German Medical Science

122. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

05. bis 08.04.2005, München

Calcineurin inhibitors but not rapamycin abrogate activation of the immunomodulatory enzyme Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author G. Brandacher - Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Univ. Hospital Innsbruck, Austria
  • C. Winkler - Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
  • S. Schneeberger - Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Univ. Hospital Innsbruck, Austria
  • E.R. Werner - Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
  • G. Werner-Felmayer - Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
  • R. Margreiter - Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Univ. Hospital Innsbruck, Austria
  • D. Fuchs - Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. 122. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. München, 05.-08.04.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05dgch3409

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Veröffentlicht: 15. Juni 2005

© 2005 Brandacher et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Introduction

T-cell costimulatory blockade prevents allograft rejection and can induce peripheral tolerance. However, concomitant use of calcineurin inhibitors but not rapamycin are known to antagonize these effects. Recently, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) via tryptophan depletion has been demonstrated to be the mediator of CTLA4Ig induced tolerance. An interaction between IDO activity and conventional immunosuppressive agents has not been investigated yet.

Materials

Isolated, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were stimulated with 10μg/ml phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and 10mg/ml concanavalin A (ConA) in the absence or presence of 0.01μg/ml - 1μg/ml cyclosporin-A (CsA), tacrolimus (FK506), rapamycin (Rapa), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or methylprednisolone (MP). After 48 hours of incubation tryptophan and kynurenin concentrations in cellculture supernatants were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Kynurenine to tryptophan ratios (kyn/trp) were calculated as an indirect estimate of functional IDO activity.

Results

PHA and ConA significantly induced IDO activation and thus tryptophan degradation in a dose-dependent manner. CsA, FK506 and MMF revealed profound IDO inhibition in PBMCs as reflected by significantly reduced kyn/trp (all P<0.01) and by increasing tryptophan concentrations. (P<0.01) In sharp contrast Rapa and MP, at identical concentrations, had only marginal effects on IDO enzyme activity and did not decrease tryptophan catabolism when compared to mitogen stimulation alone (P=ns).

Discussion

These data provide first evidence that the differential effects of CsA, FK506 and Rapa on IDO activity may explain their capacity to either inhibit, or synergize with tolerance induction, when used in combination with T-cell costimulatory blocking agents.