title: Induction of splenomegaly in mice by killed Coxiella burnetii cells.
abstract: Splenomegaly induced in mice inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with purified formalin-killed phase I and phase II Coxiella burnetii (C.b.) cells was dose-dependent. The phase I cells induced higher splenomegaly than phase II cells. The splenomegaly-inducing ability of phase I cells was reduced upon incubation with phase I but not with phase II antiserum, whereas the phase II cells preincubated with phase I or phase II immune sera induced higher splenomegaly than the phase II cells alone. Phase I cells caused lower splenomegaly in mice previously immunized with C.b. The splenomegaly-inducing ability of phase I cells was abolished by mild acid hydrolysis, by treatment either with phenol-chloroform-petroleum ether (PCP) or with a chloroform-methanol (CM) mixture. However, either the CM or the PCP-treated phase I cells retained their capacity to protect mice challenged with virulent phase I C.b.
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002725:Chloroform / Q000494:pharmacology; D003381:Coxiella / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D000432:Methanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D019800:Phenol; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010636:Phenols; D019800:Phenol; D002725:Chloroform; C004544:naphtha; D000432:Methanol