BCG-induced rabbit alveolar macrophages are endowed with strengthened antioxidant metabolic pathways.
Following i.v. BCG infection, a new population of macrophages are recruited in the rabbit lung. These macrophages, known as activated macrophages, substitute the resident macrophages and can play a key role in the defence against mycobacteria. We report here that BCG-activated alveolar macrophages are equipped with a more active hexose monophosphate pathway, which can maintain an optimal intracellular concentration of NADPH and GSH, and allow to produce mycobactericidal free radicals and to become resistant to mycobacterium-induced programmed cell death. These findings suggest that sustaining the anti-oxidant properties of macrophages could represent a candidate process to be considered as a good therapeutic target in fighting Mycobacterium spp infections.
Vita
Francesca
F
Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Patologia, Università di Trieste, Trieste, Italy. vita@units.it
Abbate
Rita
R
Borelli
Violetta
V
Brochetta
Cristiana
C
Soranzo
Maria Rosa
MR
Zabucchi
Giuliano
G
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011817:Rabbits; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009249:NADP; D005978:Glutathione