Activation of murine natural killer cells and macrophages by 8-bromoguanosine.

It has been shown that 8-bromoguanosine (8-BrGuo) activates T and B cells, but the underlying mechanism of this effect is not clear. We found that it also activates NK cells and macrophages by induction of IFN production. Culturing spleen cells with 8-BrGuo for 16 to 18 h induced cytotoxic activity to YAC cells. The cytotoxic cells expressed Qa-5, asialo-Gm-1, and NK-1.1 Ag. Similarly, preincubation of peptone-elicited peritoneal macrophages with 8-BrGuo induced macrophage cytolytic activity to P815 cells in an 18-h assay. Anti-IFN antibodies to IFN-alpha -beta and -gamma abolished these inductive events. Furthermore, elimination of asialo-Gm-1+ cells reduced the responses of NK and macrophages to 8-BrGuo, indicating that these cells possibly produce the IFN. We conclude from these observations that one biologic effect of 8-BrGuo is due to IFN production.