Modulation of peripheral leukocyte counts and bone marrow function in mice by oral administration of interleukin-2.

Interferons alpha, beta, and gamma have been shown to exert systemic effects following their oral administration to mice. It was of importance to determine whether oral administration of another biologic response modifier, interleukin-2 (IL-2), could also exert systemic effects in mice. Two systemic effects, peripheral WBC suppression and bone marrow suppression, were evaluated. Oral administration of IL-2 was found to suppress the peripheral WBC count in a dose-dependent manner. Oral administration of IL-2 was also found to suppress the bone marrow proliferative activity. The levels of suppression of both peripheral WBC and myelopoietic progenitor cell numbers observed with orally administered IL-2 were comparable to those seen with subcutaneously administered IL-2. The results demonstrate that orally administered IL-2 can exert systemic effects. Further, the results raise the possibility that oral administration of IL-2 may have therapeutic potential.