Research in Experimental Medicine

, Volume 192, Issue 1, pp 145–150 | Cite as

Regulation of NK cell activity and the level of the intracellular cAMP in human peripheral blood lymphocytes by Met-enkephalin

  • I. Martin-Kleiner
  • M. Osmak
  • J. Gabrilovac
Article
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Summary

The effect of Met-enkephalin on natural killer (NK) activity and on intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) level in human peripheral blood lymphocytes was measured 1/4, 1, 2, and 24h after incubation. Concentrations of Met-enkephalin ranged from 10−12 to 10−8 M. Cyclic changes in NK activity and in the intracellular cAMP level after treatment with Met-enkephalin were observed. Kinetics of changes caused by high (10−9, 10−8 M) and low concentrations (10−12, 10−11, 10−10 M) of Met-enkephalin differed from each other. Early, nearly threefold increase in the level of intracellular cAMP was found 15 min after treating peripheral blood lymphocytes with 10−12 M Met-enkephalin. By contrast, a nearly 75% decrease of intracellular cAMP level was found 2 h after treatment with 10−9 M Met-enkephalin. Generally, early intensive changes in the cAMP level in peripheral blood lymphocytes, induced by Met-enkephalin, were followed by delayed, subtle changes in NK cell activity in the opposite direction.

Key words

Met-enkephalin NK cell activity cAMP Peripheral blood lymphocytes 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • I. Martin-Kleiner
    • 1
  • M. Osmak
    • 1
  • J. Gabrilovac
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Experimental Biology and MedicineRuder Bošković InstituteZagrebCroatia

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