Lactoferrin-mediated protection of the host from murine cytomegalovirus infection by a T-cell-dependent augmentation of natural killer cell activity.
The administration of bovine lactoferrin (LF) with 1 mg/g body weight before the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection completely protected the BALB/c mice from death due to the infection. In these LF-treated mice, a significant increase in the activity was found in the NK cells but not in the cytolytic T lymphocytes which recognized an MCMV-derived peptide. Moreover, the elimination of the NK cell activity by an injection with anti-asialo GM1 antibody abrogated such augmented resistance, thus supporting the hypothesis that the LF-mediated antiviral effect in vivo is performed through the augmentation of NK cell activity. No such LF-mediated antiviral effect in vivo with the increased NK cell activity was found in athymic nude mice, whereas it was restored completely by the transfer of splenic T cells from LF-treated donors. These findings therefore suggest that T lymphocytes induce both the augmentation of NK cell activity and the resultant antiviral effect in the LF-treated hosts.
Shimizu
K
K
Department of Infectious Disease, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
Matsuzawa
H
H
Okada
K
K
Tazume
S
S
Dosako
S
S
Kawasaki
Y
Y
Hashimoto
K
K
Koga
Y
Y
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D007781:Lactoferrin