Aim: To observe the role of IL-12 in Th17 cells differentiation.
Methods: Mouse splenocytes were prepared and cultured with alphaCD3 alone or plus different concentration of recombined mice IL-12, 3 days later, IL-17 in the culture supernatant was assayed by ELISA. In addition, Mouse splenocytes were stimulated byalphaCD3 with or without IL-12 for 48 h, then cell were washed, and restimulated by PMA and Ionomycin, the expression of intracellular IL-17 and IFN-gamma by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were examined at single cell level by Flow Cytometric analysis.
Results: Th-17 cells is a independent cell population, which did not express IL-5, IL-10, IFN-gamma and Foxp3. IL-12 could induce active mouse T cells produce large amount of IFN-gamma and the differentiation toward Th1 cell. On the contrary, IL-12 could inhabit the production of IL-17 and differentiation toward Th17 cells.
Conclusion: IL-12 inhabit T cell differentiation toward Th17 cells.