title: Genital mycoplasmas stimulate tumor necrosis factor-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase production from a murine macrophage cell line.
abstract: Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis, two genital mycoplasmas, are the most common organisms isolated in the perinatal period and both either cause or are associated with poor perinatal outcomes. We speculate that these microbes could increase inflammation by stimulating macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase because of their propensity to interact with the host's immune system. To test this hypothesis, RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, were coincubated for 16 h with either U. urealyticum or M. hominis, and LPS and sterile broth were used as controls. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and both mycoplasmas induced TNF-alpha production, which was concentration-dependent, whereas sterile broth had little effect. TNF-alpha production was not inhibited by the addition of polymyxin B, excluding the possibility of contaminating endotoxin in this effect. Inducible nitric oxide synthase was produced only in the presence of recombinant inteferon-gamma. We conclude that both viable and nonviable U. urealyticum and M. hominis are capable of TNF-alpha induction from murine macrophages and that LPS is not involved in this event. Also, the genital mycoplasmas are capable of stimulating inducible nitric oxide synthase production from murine macrophages. We speculate that the genital mycoplasmas produce perinatal disease by producing proinflammatory mediators by their interaction with inflammatory cells and either induce or act as a catalyst and augment inflammation which in turn leads to a poor pregnancy outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee at Memphis 38163, USA.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Crouse
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Livingston
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Meals
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000635:transmission; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000635:transmission; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse