title: Activity of defensins from human neutrophilic granulocytes against Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare.
abstract: We have examined the activity of defensins from human neutrophilic granulocytes against Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare. M. avium-M. intracellulare at 2.5 x 10(6)/ml or 2.5 x 10(8)/ml was cultured in the presence of defensins at 37 degrees C from 4 to 48 h. After incubation, CFU were enumerated. Human neutrophil peptide 1 (HNP-1) at 5 micrograms/ml had the ability to kill M. avium-M. intracellulare. Treatment with HNP-1 resulted in significant (96.3 to 97.7%) killing of M. avium-M. intracellulare, even after taking clumping into consideration. This activity was not affected by the presence of calcium (0.5 and 1.0 mM), magnesium (0.5 and 1.0 mM), or sodium chloride (25, 50, and 100 mM). The optimal pH for bactericidal activity was higher than 5. We tested numerous M. avium-M. intracellulare strains, and HNP-1 was successful in killing every strain, although the degree of killing varied among them (34.2 to 87.2%). Additionally, this activity was independent of colonial morphology. We also examined the activity of HNP-2 and HNP-3 against M. avium-M. intracellulare and found that they were as effective in killing M. avium-M. intracellulare as HNP-1 was. These observations suggest that defensins may play an important role in the host defense against M. avium-M. intracellulare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 92103.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Linzer
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Zuberi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catanzaro
mesh_terms: D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D023082:Defensins; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D023084:alpha-Defensins
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D023084:alpha-Defensins; C406413:human neutrophil peptide 1; C406416:human neutrophil peptide 2; C406427:human neutrophil peptide 3; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium