[Relationship between virulence to mice and macrophage chemiluminescence-triggering activity of the Mycobacterium avium complex belonging to various serovars].
Macrophage chemiluminescence (M phi CL)-triggering activities of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) strains belonging to various serovars were examined. When SmT colonial variant (smooth, transparent, irregularly shaped) of M. intracellulare N-260 strain was compared with its SmD variant (smooth, opaque, dome-shaped) for M phi CL-triggering function and resistance to antimicrobial activity of murine resident peritoneal M phi s, the SmT variant showed much lower M phi CL-triggering activity accompanied by its high resistance to M phi microbicidal functions. Thus, difference in the virulence of the two MAC colonial variants seems to be originated from their different activities in M phi-triggering to be stimulated state in terms of O2-dependent antimicrobial functions. When disease-associated MAC strains belonging to serovars 1, 14, 16 (major serovars seen in Japan), 8 (intermediate serovar) and 9 (minor serovar) were challenged to mice, their virulence, in terms of mortality of host animals and growth of the organisms in the lungs, was nearly in the order of serovar 16, 14, 8, 1 and 9. However, there was found no obvious serovar-dependent difference in M phi CL-triggering activity of these MAC strains. Thus, no significant correlation was found between virulence of the MAC strains of various serovars and their triggering activities for M phi active oxygen production, which is important for the O2-dependent microbicidal mechanisms of host M phi s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tomioka
H
H
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
Sato
K
K
Saito
H
H
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008165:Luminol; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012703:Serotyping; D014774:Virulence
D008165:Luminol