Effect of recombinant tumour necrosis factor on acute infection in mice with Toxoplasma gondii or Trypanosoma cruzi.
Recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rTNF) has been shown to protect mice against lethal bacterial infections. We previously reported that in in vitro experiments with mouse peritoneal macrophages, rTNF inhibited intracellular multiplication of Trypanosoma cruzi but not of Toxoplasma gondii. These disparate results led us to study the effect of rTNF on the in vivo infection with these parasites. Daily administration of 0.5 and 5.0 micrograms rTNF resulted in a dose-dependent, significantly decreased time to death (p less than 0.05) in mice infected with lethal doses of T. cruzi. The same effect was found in mice infected with T. gondii and given a daily dose of 5.0 micrograms rTNF. Lower doses of rTNF did not significantly affect time to death of mice infected with either parasite.
Black
C M
CM
Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, CA 94301.
Israelski
D M
DM
Suzuki
Y
Y
Remington
J S
JS
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha