Abstract: ［Abstract］Objective〖HTSS〗To investigate the effect of apoptotic cells on expression of interleukin-12（IL-12） family cytokines in macrophages.
Methods〖HTSS〗RAW264.7 (RAW cells) from the mouse macrophage cell lineage and mouse peritoneal macrophages were divided into 4 groups respectively: blank control group, lipopolysaccharide(LPS) stimulation group, apoptotic(apo) cell stimulation group, LPS+apo cell stimulation group, the levels of mIL-12p35, mIL-12p40 and mIL-23p19 in macrophage cell of each group before and after the stimulation were detected by real-time quantitative polymease chain reaction（PCR）. The contents of IL-10, prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in RAW cell supernatant were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).
Results〖HTSS〗The mRNA expression level of IL-12p35, IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 in RAW cells or mouse peritoneal macrophages were higher in LPS group than in blank control group and apo group. The mRNA level of IL-12p35, IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 in the LPS+apo group were higher than those in the blank control group and in the apo group, and lower than those in the LPS group(P＜0.05). The concentrations of IL-10, PGE2 and TGF-β in the LPS group or LPS+apo group were all higher than those in the control group, and  the concentrations of TGF-β in LPS+apo group were significantly higher than those in the LPS group(P＜0.05), while the differences of IL-10 or PGE2 concentrations in the LPS group and LPS+apo group were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).
Conclusion〖HTSS〗Apoptotic cells inhibit the expression of IL-12p35, IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 mRNA in activated macrophages. Apoptotic cells have no effect on the secretion of IL-10 and PGE2, but can promote the secretion of TGF-β in macrophages.

Key words: macrophages； apoptotic cell, interleukin-12