Interleukin 10 protects mice from lethal endotoxemia.

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) decreases production of IL-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro, and neutralization of IL-10 in mice leads to elevation of the same monokines. We test here whether this monokine-suppressing property of IL-10 confers on it the capacity to protect mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced shock, a monokine-mediated inflammatory reaction. A single injection of 0.5-1 microgram of recombinant murine IL-10 …