title: Recombinant interleukin-1 infusion increases resistance of BALB/c mice to murine leprosy.
abstract: BALB/c mice were infected by the subcutaneous route with 10(7) Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM), and the progression of the infection followed in mice injected i.p. with diluent or recombinant human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha). It was observed that infusion of 1 microgram of IL-1 alpha per day led to a reduction of bacterial growth in the livers and popliteal lymph nodes of MLM injected mice (2-3-log reduction at 6 months, P less than 0.0001). There was no indication that IL-1 alpha infusion was acting by enhancing macrophage activation. Indeed, resident peritoneal macrophages from control infected mice were as competent as macrophages from infected mice treated with IL-1 alpha in generating superoxide anion (O2-) (approximately 400 nM O2-/h/mg at 2 months post-infection). Moreover, they were no more permissive than those of IL-1 alpha infused mice for MLM in vitro as both groups of cells allowed progressive MLM growth, i.e. a 20-fold enhancement of intramacrophage MLM growth. Infusion of IL-1 alpha during MLM infection was not associated with any abrogation of the suppression of the T-cell response to T-cell mitogens or specific stimulation with antigens which is complete at 1 month post-infection. It is concluded that IL-1 alpha has immunotherapeutic potential in leprosy with the mechanism(s) of action still unclear.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Pneumologie, Hôpital Laval, Sainte-Foy Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Denis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1