title: Effects of immunomodulators on liquefaction and ulceration in the rabbit skin model of tuberculosis.
abstract: To better control tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in developing countries a real need exists to study the liquefaction and cavity formation that occur in pulmonary TB lesions. This report is the first to evaluate the effects of immunomodulators on these two processes in a rabbit skin model. The effects of recombinant human interferon-γ (rIFN-γ), recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2), dexamethasone and cyclophosphamide (CTX) were evaluated in TB lesions produced by intradermal injection of 5 × 10(6) viable BCG bacilli. Recombinant IL-2 and rIFN-γ accelerated the liquefaction and healing of the lesions, and reduced the bacterial load. In contrast, dexamethasone inhibited the liquefaction of the lesions, and increased the bacterial load. The effect of CTX was similar to dexamethasone but not as pronounced. Serum levels of IL-2 were higher during the liquefaction and healing phases in the rIL-2 and rIFN-γ groups. Therefore, immunomodulators affect both the development of TB lesions and the survival of the mycobacteria within them. This study suggests that the rabbit skin model can be a valuable method to select therapeutic agents that could inhibit liquefaction and cavity formation in pulmonary tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou 730000, China. 3956cong@163.com
authors.forename: Hongjia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xingming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Kefeng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiaofa
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hongjuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bingdong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014382:Tuberculosis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003520:Cyclophosphamide