The GR antagonist RU486 stimulates IL-12 and inhibits IL-10. Cytokines were induced in whole-blood cultures with 250 ng/mL LPS [for induction of IL-12(p70), 1,000 U/mL IFN-γ was added to the cultures] in the absence (▪) or presence of 10⁻⁶ mol/L DEX (▨) or 10⁻⁶ mol/L HC (▧). The influence of these GC on IL-12(p40) (upper panel), IL-12(p70) (middle panel), and IL-10 (lower panel) was studied in the absence or presence of 1 or 50 μmol/L RU486. The means of the results ± SEM obtained with eight different donors are shown. IL-12(p70) production is the mean of the results ± SEM obtained with four different healthy donors. The data are expressed as a percentage of the cytokine production in the absence of GC or antagonist. Cytokines were determined by ELISA in supernatants obtained after 24 hours of culture. ND, not done.