title: Modulation of Mycobacterium avium growth in murine macrophages: reversal of unresponsiveness to interferon-gamma by indomethacin or interleukin-4.
abstract: The ability of soluble factors to modulate the growth of a virulent strain of Mycobacterium avium in murine peritoneal macrophages was studied. The virulent strain, TMC 702, grew progressively in the organs of susceptible BALB/C mice. In addition, this strain of M. avium grew progressively in untreated peritoneal macrophages. Treatment of macrophage monolayers with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) did not change significantly the intracellular growth of M. avium. Addition of indomethacin to IFN-gamma-treated macrophage monolayers rendered them significantly more bacteriostatic than macrophages treated with interferon alone, suggesting a role for prostaglandins in inducing unresponsiveness to IFN-gamma in infected cells. Additionally, treatment with tumour necrosis factor-alpha led to a modest increase in bacteriostasis, as compared to untreated monolayers. Further experiments with recombinant interleukins showed that interleukin-4 (IL-4), on its own, could increase bacteriostatic activity against M. avium in a reproducible fashion. Experiments with interleukin combinations showed that IFN-gamma and IL-4 treatment of macrophages rendered these cells almost fully bacteriostatic against M. avium, inclusion of scavengers of reactive oxygen species did not modify the beneficial effect of IFN-gamma and IL-4. Overall, our results suggest an important role for interleukins in modulating the interaction between virulent mycobacteria and murine macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Bioscience 1, ICI Pharmaceuticals, Cheshire, England.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Gregg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007213:Indomethacin