Cytotoxic effects of natural killer cells have no significant role in controlling infection with the intracellular protozoon Eimeria vermiformis.
The course of infection with Eimeria vermiformis in C57BL/6J; NK cell-defective C57BL/6J bg/bg; BALB/c; T-cell-defective BALB/c nu/nu; and T-cell-, B-cell-, and NK cell-defective BALB/c x C57BL/6 scid/scid bg/bg mice was monitored. For young C57BL/6J mice, the bg/bg mutants consistently produced fewer oocysts than the controls; there were no differences between older mice of these strains. Wild-type BALB/c mice were more resistant to infection than the nu/nu and scid/scid bg/bg mutants, but there was no difference between the mutants. Treatment of BALB/c mice with poly(I.C) had no effect on the course of infection. These findings confirm the ineffectiveness of NK cells in this system.
Rose
M E
ME
Department of Immunology and Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
Hesketh
P
P
Wakelin
D
D
D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004539:Eimeria / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology
D011070:Poly I-C