Induction of hypersensitivity to endotoxin in C3H/HeJ mice by immunization with L-form Salmonella typhimurium.
When endotoxin low-responder C3H/HeJ mice were immunized with L-form Salmonella typhimurium, the mice were more susceptible to a lethal challenge with S. typhimurium 1 week after immunization (1-week mice) than were the unimmunized controls. One-week immune mice produced overwhelming amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the blood after infection, while 4-week immune mice produced lesser amounts of this cytokine with a 75% survival rate at 60 days postinfection. Pretreatment with anti-TNF-alpha antibody prevented 1-week immune mice from succumbing to acute illness. Endotoxin-stimulated peritoneal macrophages from 1-week immune mice produced higher amounts of TNF-alpha in vitro than did those from 4-week immune mice and they expressed larger amounts of TNF-alpha mRNA on Northern blot. The capacity of macrophages to produce TNF-alpha in vitro was correlated with the degree of colonization by the L form in the cells. These results suggest that the colonization by L-form S. typhimurium in macrophages alters the susceptibility to S. typhimurium of C3H/HeJ mice and that TNF-alpha might play a major role in this alteration of host resistance.
Nakano
A
A
Department of Bacteriology, Nara Medical University, Japan.
Kita
E
E
Yamada
H
H
Kamikaidou
N
N
Kashiba
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000276:immunology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C027952:salmonella toxin