Interleukin-10 was originally described as a factor that inhibits cytokine production by murine Th1 clones. Recent studies have since shown that IL-10 can also downregulate Th2 clones and their production of IL-4 and IL-5. Because of its immuno-suppressive properties, IL-10 has been suggested as a potential therapy for allergic inflammation and asthma. However, the pathophysiological role of IL-10 in vivo has not been clearly elucidated. We investigated the effects of IL-10 administration on the production of IgE, cytokine and allergen-induced Th2 cytokine production as well as its effects on eosinophilic inflammation. We established GATA-3/TCR double transgenic (GATA-3/TCR-Tg) mice by crossing GATA-3 transgenic mice with ovalbumin (OVA)-specific TCR transgenic mice; these mice were then sensitized using an intraperitoneal injection of OVA adsorbed to alum and challenged with the intratracheal instillation of an allergen. When GATA-3/TCR-Tg mice sensitized with OVA and alum were injected with C57-IL-10 cells before OVA inhalation, the levels of IL-5, IL-13, and IL-4 decreased by 40-85% and number of eosinophils decreased by 70% (P<0.03) in the murine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). These results suggest that IL-10 plays an important role downstream of the inflammatory cascade in the Th2 response to antigens and in the development of BALF eosinophilia and cytokine production in a murine model of asthma. These immunosuppressive properties in animal models indicate that IL-10 could be a potential clinical therapy for the treatment of allergic inflammation.
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