Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans by normal and thioglycolate-activated macrophages.
Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans by normal and thioglycolate-activated mouse peritoneal macrophages was studied. Thioglycolate-activated macrophages exhibited a lower percent phagocytosis than did normal macrophages. Differences in phagocytosis could not be attributed to differences in macrophage viability, minor variations in the concentration of adherent macrophages, or a general depression in activated macrophage phagocytosis. Thioglycolate-activated macrophages required heat-labile opsonins for optimal phagocytosis of non-encapsulated cryptococci, whereas nonactivated macrophages did not require heat-labile opsonins for phagocytosis of the yeast. Both types of macrophages exhibited similar sensitivity to the phagocytosis-inhibiting properties of cryptococcal polysaccharide. The results show that depletion of heat-labile opsonins from serum or inactivation of yeast-bound, heat-labile opsonins by polysaccharide cannot account for the phagocytosis-inhibiting properties of cryptococcal polysaccharide.
D000818:Animals; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000502:physiology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013864:Thioglycolates / Q000494:pharmacology
D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013864:Thioglycolates