Bactericidal activity of rat lung lavage fluid against Bordetella pertussis.
Cell-free lung lavage fluid (LLF) from healthy normal rats killed phase I (wild-type, virulent) Bordetella pertussis at 37 degrees C in vitro. B. parapertussis was also killed by the LLF, but phase IV (avirulent mutant) B. pertussis and some other common bacterial species, including B. bronchiseptica, were not. Transmission electron microscopy of thin sections of the phase I B. pertussis showed extensive structural damage and cell lysis. None of the other mammalian species tested had LLF with bactericidal activity against B. pertussis as high as that of the rat. Rats killed with halothane yielded LLF with higher bactericidal activity than when CO2 was used. Ultracentrifugation of LLF at 55,000 g gave a surfactant (pellet) fraction that had c. 95% of the bactericidal activity and which was biochemically distinct from the 5% of activity in the supernate fraction. Phospholipids and fatty acids appeared to be involved in LLF bactericidal activity, but not complement or lysozyme. Arachidonic acid was the most active of the fatty acids tested. Artificial surfactant, as used in premature infants, had no bactericidal effect on B. pertussis.
G N
GN
Al-Fellah
R
R
Parton
A C
AC
Wardlaw
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000276:immunology; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006221:Halothane; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000276:immunology; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D006221:Halothane