Cytokine secretion effected by synergism of the immunomodulator AS101 and the protein kinase C inducer bryostatin

AS101, a synthetic organotellurium compound, was found to have immunomodulating properties by initiation of cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. Phase I/II clinical trials currently in progress on AIDS and cancer patients treated with AS101 show significant increases in various immunological parameters, with minimal toxicity. Recently, AS101 and the protein kinase C (PKC) inducer, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), were shown to synergize in the secretion of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and colony-stimulating factor (CSF) in vitro, by human and mouse lymphoid cells. The bryostatins, a group of natural macrocyclic lactones isolated from marine invertebrates (Bugula neritina) have been reported to be potent PKC activators with no tumour promoting activity. In this study, we investigated the synergistic effect of AS101 and a partially purified preparation of bryostatin on the production of several cytokines. Our data confirm the presence of synergism, which greatly enhances cell proliferation, IL-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion by human mononuclear cells (MNC) and the production of IL-2 and TNF by mouse cells. The absence of tumour-promoting activity of the bryostatins makes them particularly good candidates, in combination with AS101, for immunomodulation in vivo in clinically immunosuppressed conditions.