Phagocytosis and intracellular degradation of 125I-labelled immune complexes by Clofazimine treated macrophage cultures.
Mouse peritoneal and calf alveolar macrophage cultures were exposed to various Clofazimine concentrations for 5 days. Cultures exposed to drug concentrations near the blood therapeutic level phagocytize and digest more immune complexes than control cultures. Our results allow us to suggest that the beneficial action of Clofazimine in lepromatous leprosy could be at least partially mediated by the removal and degradation of circulating immune complexes by macrophages.
D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002991:Clofazimine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000201:enzymology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D011817:Rabbits
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D002991:Clofazimine