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.
Shetty
V P
VP
Foundation for Medical Research, Bombay, India.
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