Characterization of cells infiltrating the lungs of x-irradiated and nude mice after influenza virus infection.
After X-irradiated and nonirradiated mice (C3H/He) as well as athymic nude mice and haired littermates (BALB/c) were infected with influenza A virus (Kumamoto strain, H2N2), they were examined for survival period, the development of consolidation in the lungs and the characteristics of the cells infiltrating the lung tissues. In two different T-cell deficient groups, there was a definite delay in the development of consolidation compared with their respective controls and this was reflected in prolonged survival periods: 5 days longer for irradiated mice and 6 days longer for nude mice. In both T-cell deficient and normal groups, about 70% of the cells obtained from consolidated lung tissues after virus infection were found to be small lymphoid cells and there were no morphological differences between the T-cell deficient and normal groups. None of these small lymphoid cells from the peripheral blood or the spleen of T-cell deficient mice responded to concanavalin A. In the lungs of both X-irradiated mice and nude mice, however, a definite increase in cells having natural killer activity was found at the late stages of the influenza infection, suggesting their participation in the development of consolidation.
D000818:Animals; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology