T lymphocytes isolated from the hepatic granulomas of schistosome-infected mice express somatostatin receptor subtype II (SSTR2) messenger RNA.

Schistosomiasis mansoni is a disease characterized by liver and intestinal granulomas. Previous investigations in our laboratory showed that nylon wool-adherent CD4+ T lymphocytes isolated from murine hepatic schistosome granulomas express receptors for somatostatin 1-14. Moreover, somatostatin 1-14 substantially decreased IFN-gamma and IgG2a, but not IL-5 secretion by dispersed granuloma cells. This paper extends these observations by defining the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) isoform most likely expressed by granuloma inflammatory lymphocytes. Amplification of mRNA by reverse transcription PCR shows SSTR1, SSTR2, and SSTR3 mRNA in normal mouse brain and other tissues. Nevertheless, only the SSTR2 PCR product was amplified from granuloma cell RNA. The nucleotide sequence of the granuloma SSTR2 PCR product from inflammatory cells is identical to the CBA murine brain SSTR2 cDNA sequence. Granuloma-derived T cell lines, FACS-isolated granuloma CD4+ T cells, thymocytes, splenocytes, and cloned T cell lines all contain mRNA for SSTR2 by reverse transcription PCR. Moreover, both SSTR2A and the splice variant SSTR2B can be amplified from dispersed granuloma cells, granuloma T cell lines, thymocytes, and splenocytes. This is the first demonstration that inflammatory cells produce mRNA for an authentic somatostatin receptor. It is probable that the lymphocyte SSTR2 receptor mediates somatostatin-induced modulation of IFN-gamma secretion.