Interferon-γ: pleiotropic effects on a rat pancreatic beta cell line

Abstract

We have recently shown that interferon-y (IFN-y) markedly upregulates the expression of the class I major histocompatibility proteins on pancreatic beta cells and have therefore postulated that interferon-y may enhance cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated beta cell damage in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. To further explore the interaction between interferon-γ and the pancreatic beta cell we have used the RIN-m5F insulinoma line to define the effects of interferon-γ on major histocompatibility protein expression, (pro)insulin and protein synthesis and cell growth. Interferon-γ induced a dose-dependent increase in the expression of the class I major histocompatibility proteins on the RIN-m5F c..