title: Low response of BALB/c macrophages to priming and activating signals.
abstract: Trehalose dimycolate (TDM), a mycobacterial glycolipid, is a powerful macrophage-priming agent. However, its efficiency seems limited in the case of BALB/c mice. Peritoneal macrophages harvested from TDM-treated BALB/c mice did not control BCG growth in vitro as efficiently as similar macrophages from two other mouse strains, (B6 x D2)F1 and C57BL/6, which are respectively Bcgr and Bcgs. BALB/c macrophages elicited by TDM also exhibited a low capacity to produce hydrogen peroxide and, after activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), weak cytostatic activity against P815 mastocytoma cells. Finally, alkaline phosphodiesterase, a marker of resident and inflammatory macrophages, was still expressed at a high level in macrophages of BALB/c mice treated with TDM. Low responsiveness of BALB/c macrophages to stimuli was not observed with TDM only; activation for tumor cytotoxicity of thioglycolate-elicited macrophages from BALB/c mice required also higher doses of interferon-gamma, and LPS. L-Arginine-dependent production of nitric oxide was inducible in macrophages from BALB/c mice, but the conditions required for its induction were more stringent. Thus, the reduced antiproliferative effects of BALB/c macrophages may be due to uncomplete induction of NO synthase after suboptimal stimulation.
authors.affiliation: URA CNRS 1116, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France.
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Afroun
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lemaire
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012515:Mast-Cell Sarcoma / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000254:growth & development; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D043264:Phosphodiesterase I; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014199:Trehalose / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014199:Trehalose; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D043264:Phosphodiesterase I