title: Hydrocortisone treatment of BCG-infected mice impairs the activation and enhancement of antimicrobial activity of peritoneal macrophages.
abstract: The present study concerns the effect of hydrocortisone (HC) on the effector functions of Bacillus Calmette Guerin-purified protein derivative (BCG-PPD)-activated macrophages. Such activated macrophages release greater amounts of H2O2 and NO2-, inhibit the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii and kill L. monocytogenes more efficiently than resident macrophages. This activation was not fully expressed by macrophages from BCG-activated mice that had received a subcutaneous injection of HC 2 days before intraperitoneal injection of PPD, since the inhibition of the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii, the release of NO2- and the rate of intracellular killing of L. monocytogenes were lower than in macrophages from BCG-PPD-activated mice. However, treatment with HC did not impair the release of H2O2 by BCG-PPD-activated macrophages. The results show that the treatment of infected mice with HC inhibits their ability to develop adequate intracellular microbicidal mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stokvis
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Langermans
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Backer-Vledder
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van der Hulst
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Furth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000254:growth & development; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide; D006854:Hydrocortisone