Evaluation of monensin and brefeldin A for flow cytometric determination of interleukin‐1 beta, interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha in monocytes

Flow cytometry has become a powerful technique to measure intracellular cytokine production in lymphocytes and monocytes. Appropriate inhibition of the secretion of the produced cytokines is required for studying intracellular cytokine expression. The aim of this study was to compare the capacity of cytokine secretion inhibitors, monensin and brefeldin A, in order to trap cytokine production (interleukin‐1 beta [IL‐1β], IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha [TNF‐α]) within peripheral blood monocytes. A two‐color flow cytometric technique was used to measure intracellular spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α production in monocytes (CD14+) of whole blood cultures. The viability of monensin‐treated monocytes was slightly lower than that of brefeldin A‐inhibited monocytes, as measured with propidium iodide (PI). The percentage of IL‐6 and TNF‐α–producing monocytes after 8 h of culture without stimulation revealed significant lower values for monensin‐treated than for brefeldin A‐treated monocytes. The percentages for stimulated cells did not differ. The spontaneous intracellular production in molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome units (MESF) of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α after 8 h of culture was higher in brefeldin A than in monensin‐inhibited monocytes. The LPS‐stimulated intracellular production of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α was increased in brefeldin A‐inhibited monocytes. In conclusion, for flow cytometric determination of intracellular monocytic cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α), brefeldin A is a more potent, effective, and less toxic inhibitor of cytokine secretion than monensin. Cytometry (Comm. Clin. Cytometry) 46:172–176, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.