Animal model to study the mechanism of nerve damage in leprosy--a preliminary report.
Intraneural injection of 10-20 x 10(6) viable Mycobacterium leprae into the sciatic nerve of normal, unsensitized, Swiss white mice gives rise to a tuberculoid type of granulomatous response in 2 weeks. The same dose of viable M. leprae when injected into the sciatic nerves of unsensitized immunosuppressed mice (T200 x 5R) elicited a macrophage response. When macrophages were systemically immobilized using an intraperitoneal injection of silica quartz dust in normal mice, the lesion produced was of the lepromatous type, suggesting a role for the macrophage in the induction of the tuberculoid type of granulomatous response. In all of these in situ experiments, M. leprae failed to enter the Schwann cells.
Foundation for Medical Research, Bombay, India.
V P
VP
Shetty
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009409:Nerve Crush; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology
D012822:Silicon Dioxide