Effect of a metalloproteinase inhibitor on IL-18/IL-2 lethality and effect of IL-18/IL-2 in gene knockout mice.

(A) Effect of a metalloproteinase inhibitor on IL-18/IL-2 lethality. Metalloproteinase inhibitor (KB-R7785) was suspended in sterile 0.5% CMC at 10 mg/mL. B6 mice (n = 10 per group) were treated daily with an intraperitoneal injection of 0.2 mL KB-R7785 or 0.5% CMC (vehicle). Then mice were daily treated with IL-18 (1 μg) plus IL-2 (50 000 IU) or control PBS for 10 days. (B) (C) Effect of IL-18/IL-2 in IFN-γ^−/− (GKO) (panel B), IL-4^−/−, IL-13^−/−, IL-4/IL-13^−/−, and Stat6^−/− mice (panel C). Mice (n = 5 to 20 per group) were treated daily with IL-18 (1 μg) plus IL-2 (50 000 IU) for 21 days.