INTERLEUKIN-1 IS A MUCUS SECRETAGOGUE

Explant cultures of mouse duodenum were used to show that interleukin-1 (IL-1) causes release of mucus from epithelial goblet cells. Our experiments made use of a newly described enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) which employs enzyme-conjugated soybean agglutinin to detect mucus glycoproteins secreted from explant cultures of mouse duodenum. Supernatants from cultures of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peritoneal macrophages as well as partially purified rabbit alveolar macrophage-derived IL-1 and human rIL-1β all induced mucus release in a rapid and dose-dependent fashion. This observation may be important for investigating a link between the immune response and mucus hypersecretion from inflamed intestinal mucosa. © 1991.