Effects of cotrimoxazole on some macrophage functions: microbicide, tumoricide, production of free oxygen radicals, prostaglandins and leukotrienes

In order to demonstrate an immunomodulating effect of cotrimoxazole, we investigated its influence on some macrophage (M phi) functions in culture: P815 tumor cells killing, Toxoplasma gondii killing, production of free oxygen radicals by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, prostaglandins and leukotrienes secretion evaluated after incorporation of tritiated arachidonic acid. In vitro, cotrimoxazole inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion the chemiluminescence of murine resident peritoneal or guinea pig alveolar M phi. Production of prostaglandin (PG) 6-keto-F1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid by resident peritoneal M phi was also inhibited. However, PGD2 synthesis by alveolar M phi was enhanced. A second study was performed on peritoneal M phi, resident or elicited in vivo by one intra-peritoneal injection of an extract from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis membranes and obtained from mice pretreated or not by cotrimoxazole per os. Resident M phi from cotrimoxale-treated animals showed increased production of leucotriene B4 compared to M phi from controls. 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and free oxygen radicals production by elicited M phi was greatly enhanced by cotrimoxazole whereas thromboxane B2 was reduced. Finally cotrimoxazole enhanced intracellular killing of Toxoplasma gondii and cytotoxicity for tumor cells P815 by resident but not by elicited M phi. It is concluded that cotrimoxazole can modulate MO activation and some M phi functions involved in immune homeostasis. This data could help to understand why an antibiotic such as cotrimoxazole, which is known to be frequently used in immunocompromised hosts, is also efficient in Wegener's granulomatosis.     

Exudation of proliferative macrophages in local inflammation in the peritoneum.

Thioglycollate (TG)-elicited peritoneal macrophages (m phi s) were highly proliferative and formed m phi colonies in vitro in the presence of m phi colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), while resident peritoneal m phi s did not. To determine whether such proliferative m phi s are immigrant or locally activated resident m phi s, mice depleted of bone marrow cells and circulating monocytes by bone-seeking radiostrontium (89Sr) were injected intraperitoneally with TG. For control (88Sr) and splenectomized (Spx) mice, more than 4 x 10(4) m phi colony-forming cells (M-CFCs) per mouse were recovered in the peritoneal lavage fluid 5 days after TG injection. 89Sr-treated mice, on the other hand, had only 20% of those in the control mice. Splenectomized and 89Sr-treated (Spx/89Sr) mice showed further depletion of bone marrow cells and monocytes and, as expected, total numbers of peritoneal M-CFCs were severely depressed to less than 1% of those in the control mice. The results suggest that levels of peritoneal M-CFCs are strongly dependent on the presence of radiosensitive bone marrow cells and circulating monocytes, and resident peritoneal m phi s activated locally by inflammatory stimuli do not form m phi colonies under the defined conditions.     

Ability of rosetting or non-rosetting individual control and inflammatory macrophages to kill Escherichia coli X43 intracellularly

An autoradiographic method combined with a rosette technique was used to assess the bactericidal activity of individual control and inflammatory peritoneal macrophages (PM phi) in the presence or absence of expression of Fc receptor for IgG (FcR). There was a lack of FcR reactivity in a certain percentage of both categories of PM phi exposed to E. coli X43, a bacterium which is readily phagocytosed in the presence of specific antibody. Both rosetting and non-rosetting PM phi were capable of phagocytosing E. coli X43, but inflammatory PM phi showed a marked reduction in their capacity to ingest these bacteria compared with control PM phi. Once ingested the E. coli X43 were killed equally well by non-rosetting and rosetting control and inflammatory PM phi.     

Effect of monophosphoryl lipid A on the in vitro function of peritoneal leukocytes from uremic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We analyzed the effects of monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a relatively nontoxic immunostimulant derived from bacterial endotoxin, on the depressed in vitro immune function of leukocytes derived from six patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and who had histories of recurrent bacterial peritonitis. MPL was also tested for its capacity to stimulate the proliferation of peritoneal fibroblasts, as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation. In vitro incubation of peritoneal lymphocytes and macrophages (PM phi) with increasing amounts of MPL, up to 5 micrograms/ml, resulted in a dose-dependent enhancement of gamma interferon and interleukin-2 production by peritoneal lymphocytes and interleukin-1 release by PM phi. In vitro incubation of PM phi with MPL also resulted in an increase of PM phi bacterial killing and membrane Fc receptor number, although no change in peritoneal fibroblast proliferation was seen with any of the MPL concentrations tested. These results suggest that the peritoneal leukocyte dysfunction observed in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and who have high rates of peritonitis may be alleviated, to some degree, by MPL, without directly inducing a potentially deleterious fibrotic lesion.     

Modulation of macrophage suppressive activity and prostaglandin release by lymphokines and interferon: comparison of alveolar, pleural and peritoneal macrophages.

In order to better characterize the mechanisms which regulate the immune response at the pulmonary level, the effects of beta-interferon (IFN-beta) and lymphokines (LK) on prostaglandin E (PGE) release and the suppressive capacity of mouse resident alveolar (AM phi) and pleural macrophages (PlM phi) were investigated in comparison with peritoneal macrophages (PM phi). After in vitro exposure to IFN-beta, PlM phi and PM phi showed a significant decrease of suppressive capacity and PGE release, whereas LK treatment did not affect such activities. In contrast, pre-treatment of AM phi with LK caused a strong impairment of their suppressive capacity. This effect was optimal after an incubation time of 20 h, was evident also at very low doses of LK and was not paralleled by any change of PGE release. Again in contrast with PlM phi and PM phi, suppressive capacity of AM phi was decreased only by very high doses of IFN-beta, whereas lower doses caused either an increase or no change of this activity. Furthermore, PGE release by AM phi was markedly increased after treatment with IFN-beta. Thus, suppressive capacity of AM phi appears to be controlled by different mechanisms from those of PlM phi and PM phi. In addition, a dissociation is evident between suppressive capacity and PGE release by AM phi.     

Fungicidal mechanisms of activated macrophages: evidence for nonoxidative mechanisms for killing of Blastomyces dermatitidis.

The mechanism(s) by which lymphokine-activated peritoneal macrophages kill Blastomyces dermatitidis was studied. Resident peritoneal macrophages from BALB/cByJ mice, when treated overnight with lymph node cells plus concanavalin A, supernatants from concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells, or recombinant gamma interferon, were then able to kill a virulent B. dermatitidis isolate (ATCC 26199) (at levels of 25% +/- 4%, 28% +/- 8%, and 21% +/- 5%, respectively). Killing was not significantly decreased or enhanced in the presence of superoxide dismutase (450 U/ml), catalase (20,000 U/ml), dimethyl sulfoxide (300 mM), or azide (1 mM). Viable B. dermatitidis elicited a brisk oxidative burst and superoxide anion production in activated macrophages as measured by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, e.g., 10(4) cpm. However, these responses were not significantly different from those of control macrophages. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence responses by activated or control macrophages were meager (less than or equal to 10(2) cpm). These results indicate that activated macrophages kill B. dermatitidis by a mechanism(s) independent of products of the oxidative burst.     

Relationship between murine macrophage Fc receptor-mediated phagocytic function and competency for activation for non-specific tumor cytotoxicity

The relationship between Fc receptor (FcR) function and activation of murine macrophage populations for non-specific tumor cytotoxicity was studied. Oil-elicited inflammatory peritoneal macrophages (PM phi) from C3HeB/FeJ mice had higher FcR function upon harvest than resident PM phi from the same strain or elicited PM phi from genetically deficient C3H/HeJ mice. C3HeB/FeJ inflammatory PM phi were uniformly responsive to activation by MAF and the complement activators: LPS, Poly I:C, cobra venom factor (CVF) and zymosan for tumoricidal activity. Resident cells from the same strain and C3H/HeJ-elicited PM phi were uniformly unresponsive to the same activators. In vitro culture of C3HeB/FeJ resident PM phi with fetal bovine serum for 24-48 h produced unregulation of FcR function which coincided with a conversion from an unresponsive to a responsive state for tumoricidal activity. Reconstitution of the FcR function of C3H/HeJ-elicited PM phi during 24-48 h culture with lymphokine or Poly I:C also coincided with the restoration of responsiveness to activation by LPS, CVF, and zymosan for tumor cytotoxicity. Thus, the consistent temporal relationship between upregulated FcR function and the capacity of macrophages to respond to activation for non-specific tumoricidal activity may be more than coincidental. Preincubation of responsive C3HeB/FeJ-elicited PM phi with insoluble immune complex or heat-aggregated IgG was shown to blockade FcR-mediated phagocytosis and to abrogate LPS-mediated tumoricidal activity. Interestingly, FcR blockade by IgG-opsonized sheep erythrocyte conjugates selectively inhibited activation by MAF, LPS, and Poly I:C, but had no inhibitory effect on activation by CVF or zymosan. Similar blockade of C3b receptors produced an identical pattern of selective inhibition of activation. This selective inhibition of non-specific tumoricidal activity by FcR/C3bR blockade suggests the existence of two pathways for antibody-independent activation of macrophages.     

Sensitive detection of two IgG Fc receptors of mouse macrophages by chemiluminescence analysis

Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay was used to detect the surface expression and the consequent activation of receptors (FcRI and FcRII) of murine macrophages (M phi s). When murine IgG2a was used for the specific detection of FcRI and IgG2b for FcRII, a newly established procedure enabled us to detect the activation of each receptor with as few as 3 X 10(5) M phi s. Briefly, TNP-SRBC coated with monoclonal IgG2a or IgG2b antibodies directed to TNP (sensitized SRBC) were used as reagent, in the presence of 1 X 10(-5) M luminol, and the emission was measured with a liquid scintillation counter. When results obtained by chemiluminescence counting were compared to the results obtained by the rosette formation by adding the same SRBC reagent to peritoneal M phi s obtained after ip injection of Listeria, fortified chemiluminescence counting allowed us to obtain a more definite answer about the activation of each receptor. Under the conditions established, the specific activation of FcRI was obtained by the addition of rIFN alpha A/D to the resident M phi s in vitro and the specific activation of spleen M phi FcRII by iv injection of IAP (Immunosuppressive acidic protein) into mice. These two results supported the independence of the two receptors detected by the assay.     

Comparison of antigen uptake by peritoneal macrophages and veiled cells from the thoracic duct using isotope-, FITC-, or gold-labelled antigen.

Veiled cells (VC), isolated from the thoracic duct of irradiated lymphadenectomized mice (MLNX) or peritoneal macrophages (PM phi were incubated with isotope-labelled hen egg lysozyme (HEL), purified protein derivative (PPD) or keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) in vitro. About 2-10 times less antigen was associated with VC than with PM phi when measured in a Philips well-type scintillation counter. Autoradiographs of these cells indicated that 3-10% veiled cells had silver grains associated with them in contrast to 20-95% of the PM phi, depending on the type of antigen studied. It was also shown, from the distribution curves for grains in individual cells, that VC contained smaller numbers of grains than PM phi. Transmission electron microscopy using KLH conjugated with colloidal gold and immunofluorescence microscopy using KLH-FITC confirmed the results obtained from autoradiographs. However, measurements of the uptake of KLH-FITC by individual VC and PM phi using flow cytometry indicated that antigen was associated with nearly all VC in vitro but in much smaller amounts than with PM phi. Both VC and PM phi were capable of presenting HEL to primed T lymphocytes in vitro. These results are discussed in relation to the function of VC as accessory cells compared with PM phi.     

Binding of human IgA1 to rat peritoneal macrophages.

In the present study we have investigated whether bovine erythrocytes (Eb) specifically sensitized with human polyclonal IgA1 (Eb-IgA1) are able to bind to resident adherent rat peritoneal cells (PM phi). Rat PM phi formed rosettes with Eb-IgA1 at room temperature and at 37 degrees. The formation of these rosettes could be blocked completely by excess human serum IgA or myeloma IgA1. In contrast, human IgG or rat IgG did not inhibit the formation of rosettes, whereas human polymeric myeloma IgA2 only partially inhibited rosette formation. Complete inhibition of rosette formation was also induced by rat monomeric and polymeric myeloma IgA, suggesting species interchangeability. Furthermore, rosette formation could be completely blocked in the presence of excess asialofetuin or D-galactose, while excess ovalbumin or D-mannose had no effect. These results suggest that the oligosaccharides in the hinge region of human IgA1 are involved in the binding of Eb-IgA1 to rat PM phi.     

Systemic administration of IL-2 induces lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells capable of killing macrophages in various tissues.

Murine lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells induced by systemic high-dose recombinant human interleukin 2 (IL-2) administration lysed fresh syngeneic peritoneal macrophages (M phi). LAK cells lysed resident peritoneal M phi and M phi activated in vivo with thioglycollate (TG), Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum), or Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). The induction of anti-M phi cytolytic activity was seen in the spleen, liver, lung, lymph nodes and peritoneal cavity, but was not observed in the thymus. Fluorescence analysis revealed that the majority of infiltrated cells in the peritoneal cavity of IL-2-administered mice were Thy-1+, asialo GM1+, L3T4-, Ly2-. Surface marker analysis on peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from IL-2-administered mice with depletion techniques using antibody (Ab) and complement (C) indicated that Thy-1+, asialo GM1+, L3T4-, Ly 2- cells were responsible for anti-M phi lysis. These studies indicate that the in vivo administration of IL-2 induces LAK cells capable of killing M phi in various tissues.     

Cytokine production by rabbit alveolar macrophages: differences between activated and suppressor cell phenotypes.

The differences between cytokine-producing profiles of activated macrophages (A-M phi) and suppressor macrophages (S-M phi) were examined. A-M phi, which exhibited cytotoxicity against RK-13 cells, were generated from resident rabbit alveolar M phi by treatment with lymphokine solution (culture fluids of rabbit spleen cells stimulated with concanavalin A [Con A]). S-M phi, which were able to inhibit cellular proliferations of rabbit spleen cells stimulated with Con A, were generated from resident alveolar M phi by treatment with 1-methyladenosine (an immunosuppressive molecule in tumourous ascites fluids). When A-M phi were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, the cells produced significantly more interleukin (IL)-1 (approximately 1.4 times), IL-6 (approximately 2.1 times), IL-12 (approximately 60 times), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (approximately 37 times) than did resting macrophages (R-M phi) stimulated with LPS as control cells. After the stimulation with LPS, both A-M phi and R-M phi did not produce transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). In contrast, when S-M phi were stimulated with LPS in vitro, the cells produced significantly more TGF-beta (approximately 1.6 times) and significantly less IL-6 (approximately 1.8 times) than did control cells. Also, S-M phi did not produce IL-1, IL-12, and TNF-alpha into their culture fluids after the stimulation with LPS. These results show the differences between cytokine-producing profiles of A-M phi and S-M phi, and characteristics of their cytokine-producing profiles are analogous to T cell subsets. Differences displayed in the cytokine profiles may contribute to the effector (A-M phi) or the suppressor (S-M phi) functions of alveolar M phi.     

Chemiluminescence of macrophages depends upon their differentiation stage: dissociation between phagocytosis and oxygen radical release

The in vitro differentiation and maturation of resident and activated mouse and human macrophages (M phi) from different anatomical sources was investigated with regard to their oxygen metabolism during zymosan phagocytosis. We found evidence that chemiluminescence (CL) of M phi depends upon their differentiation stage: a) In the absence of any phagocytic stimulus, the human M phi showed a lucigenin-dependent CL background that was approximately 10-fold higher than in mouse M phi and decreased to low levels in resident M phi (monocyte-derived human M phi). This background was reduced by SOD to about 50%. No relevant luminol-dependent background was observed in all mouse and human M phi during culture time. b) Resident and activated mouse and human M phi could be distinguished in terms of their lucigenin-dependent CL during zymosan phagocytosis, which was persistently high in activated M phi, but decreased to comparatively low levels in resident M phi during culture time. This zymosan-elicited CL was almost completely SOD-dependent during all culture time. c) A dissociation between phagocytosis and oxygen radical release is observed: the decrease of both minolul and lucigenin-dependent CL in resident phagocytizing M phi during maturation did not correspond to a decrease of their phagocytic activity. Phagocytosis occurred at a high rate also in the absence of a relevant CL-detectable generation of oxygen radicals. The oxygen radical release, as measured by SOD-inhibitable cytochrome c reduction, paralleled CL during zymosan phagocytosis and declined with maturation of monocytes into M phi. In contrast, the zymosan-induced nitro-blue-tetrazolium reduction increased in mature resident human M phi. Thus, it seems that different metabolic pathways are utilized during phagocytosis in young and mature M phi.     

Production of tumor necrosis factor alpha by resident and activated murine macrophages.

Alveolar macrophages (Am phi s), resident peritoneal macrophages (RPm phi s), and thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages (TGPm phi s) were isolated from C57BL/6 mice and incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulated cell supernatant, or recombinant interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) for 24 h. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cell-free supernatants was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Amo phi s incubated with 10(3) ng/ml LPS produced 50 times more TNF than RPm phi s and 5 times more than TGPm phi s, and LPS alone induced maximum TNF production by Am phi s. Stimulated cell supernatant or recombinant IFN-gamma alone did not induce TNF production. A combination of LPS with stimulated cell supernatant or IFN-gamma had only a limited synergistic effect on TNF production by Am phi s. However, both LPS and stimulated cell supernatant or recombinant IFN-gamma induced maximum TNF production by RPm phi s and TGPm phi s. TGPm phi s showed greater sensitivity to LPS and stimulated cell supernatant or IFN-gamma with regard to TNF production than the other macrophage populations investigated.     

Exogenous myeloperoxidase enhances bacterial phagocytosis and intracellular killing by macrophages.

It is well documented that myeloperoxidase (MyPo) contributes to the bacterial activities of neutrophils and monocytes. Since mature macrophages (M phi) are devoid of this enzyme, its participation in M phi-mediated phagocytes and bacterial killing has not been completely defined. The present study demonstrates the exogenously added MyPo, at physiological levels, enhances both phagocytosis and killing of Escherichia coli. Murine peritoneal M phi were exposed to various concentrations of MyPo for different time intervals. Viable opsonized E. coli was added either prior to or after addition of MyPo. Thioglycolate-induced but not resident M pho exhibited an increase in the number of phagocytizing cells. Both resident and thioglycolate-induced M phi demonstrated increased bactericidal activity. Physiological levels of soluble MyPo also induced a significant increase in chemiluminescence. Since luminol-dependent chemiluminescence measures reactive oxygen intermediate production, studies were done to determine whether superoxide anion or H2O2 was involved in MyPo-induced M pho killing. Both superoxide dismutase and catalase ablated MyPo-induced bactericidal activity. The above data suggest that soluble MyPo, released from neutrophils at a site of infection or inflammation, can enhance both phagocytosis and killing of microorganisms.     

Inhibition of Chlamydia psittaci in oxidatively active thioglycolate-elicited macrophages: distinction between lymphokine-mediated oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent macrophage activation.

Immune sensitization of spleen cells was required to generate lymphokines (LK) that activated thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages (thio MACs) to respond via both oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent systems. LK produced by incubating spleen cells from immunized A/J and LAF mice with concanavalin A stimulated a response by thio MACs to phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced chemiluminescence and activated these cells to inhibit intracellular Chlamydia psittaci replication. Concanavalin A-incubated spleen cell preparations from unimmunized animals stimulated neither PMA-induced chemiluminescence nor antichlamydial activity. Activated thio MACs demonstrated a rapid chemiluminescence response to the intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, but C. psittaci did not induce chemiluminescence in LK-activated thio MACs, although cells exposed to C. psittaci retained their responsiveness to PMA-induced chemiluminescence. The PMA-induced response was inhibited by the addition of exogenous superoxide dismutase and catalase and was therefore related to the production of superoxide anion (O2 . -) and H2O2 by these cells. LK preparations incubated at 56 degrees C before macrophage treatment retained antichlamydial activity, but heated preparations no longer stimulated thio MACs to respond in the chemiluminescence assay. These data provide evidence that macrophage oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent systems are simultaneously activated by LK, and these preparations comprise at least two distinct activities. The portion responsible for activating oxygen-dependent systems (PMA-induced chemiluminescence) is heat labile, whereas the portion responsible for activating oxygen-independent systems is heat stable. It is the latter system that results in restriction of chlamydial growth and in vitro parasite persistence.     

Reactivity of anti-asialo GM1 serum with tumoricidal and non-tumoricidal mouse macrophages

All peritoneal macrophage (pM phi) populations studied exhibited some binding of the anti-asGM1 serum as assessed by flow cytometry. The levels of reactivity varied quantitatively among populations, depending on the combination of eliciting and activating agents employed prior to the harvest of pM phi. Resident pM phi contained a very small percentage (4%) of cells that were strongly asGM1+. Any treatment of these cells that induced them to become stimulated or activated increased the percentage of highly asGM1+ cells. Treatments that enhanced anti-asGM1 binding including eliciting pM phi with proteose peptone (16% asGM1+) or Brewer's thioglycollate medium (66% asGM1+), treatment with the activating biological response modifiers (BRMs) MVE-2 (12% asGM1+) and P acnes (18% asGM1+), or treatment with both peptone + MVE-2 (37% asGM1+) or peptone + poly IC/LC (33%). Increased expression of anti-asGM1 was accompanied by some increase in the reactivity of the various pM phi populations to treatment with anti-asGM1 serum. This conclusion was based on the reduced viabilities of cells treated with both an eliciting agent and an activating agent prior to in vitro treatment with anti-asGM1 + C, as well as by reductions in cytolytic activity of pM phi elicited with peptone and activated by MVE-2, following anti-asGM1 treatment in vitro or administration in vivo. Conversely, the cytolytic activity of resident pM phi activated in vivo by MVE-2 or heat-killed P acnes, agents that induced relatively small increases in the percentage of asGM1+ cells, was resistant to the effects of in vivo and/or in vitro treatment with doses of anti-asGM1 serum that inhibit NK activity. These results indicate that stimulation of pM phi by eliciting or activating agents can increase the level of expression of asGM1. This increased expression of asGM1 may be a useful marker for some aspects of macrophage heterogeneity, but increased expression is not necessarily directly related to expression of tumoricidal activity. In fact, the results of this study demonstrate that anti-asGM1 serum can be used for specific depletion of NK activity in vivo in normal mice and in mice treated with at least some BRMs. However, the results also demonstrate that the use of eliciting agents, particularly thioglycollate, or eliciting agents in conjunction with activating agents can cause pM phi to become reactive with anti-asGM1 serum.     

Nitrite production by activated murine macrophages correlates with their toxoplasmastatic activity, Ia antigen expression, and production of H2O2.

Activated macrophages have various characteristics in common with exudate and resident macrophages, but the ability to inhibit intracellular proliferation of the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii, the expression of Ia antigen and the capacity to produce H2O2 varies among these cells. Assessment of these features of macrophages, which are generally used as criteria for macrophage activation, has certain drawbacks. Since activated murine macrophages, but not exudate or resident macrophages, produce considerable amounts of NO2-, assessment of NO2- production by these cells might serve as a measure of macrophage activation. The aim of the present study was to find out whether NO2- production by murine peritoneal macrophages correlates with the three generally accepted criteria for macrophage activation. Quantitative data on resident, exudate and activated macrophages revealed that the production of NO2- stimulated by a calcium-ionophore correlates best with the ability to inhibit the proliferation of T. gondii, Ia antigen expression, and capacity to produce H2O2. Because it is rapid and easy to perform, measurement of the amount of NO2- produced by murine macrophages stimulated with a calcium-ionophore offers the most practical criterion for distinction between activated macrophages and exudate and resident macrophages.     

Antibacterial resistance, macrophage influx, and activation induced by bacterial rRNA with dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide.

Intraperitoneally injected rRNA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa combined with dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA) increased nonspecifically the resistance of mice against an intraperitoneal challenge with extracellular (P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) and intracellular (Listeria monocytogenes) bacteria. This study concerns the mechanism underlying the nonspecific resistance. RNA with DDA (RNA-DDA) induced a cell influx and activated peritoneal macrophages (M phi) as judged by the decreased 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphodiesterase activities in M phi lysates, the enhanced O2- release, and the increased antitumor activity in comparison with unstimulated M phi. RNA without DDA did not enhance the resistance and did not influence the peritoneal cell numbers or M phi properties. DDA without RNA enhanced the resistance of mice only slightly; it induced a cell influx, yielding elicited M phi as judged by the decreased 5'-nucleotidase activity and increased alkaline phosphodiesterase activity, the slightly enhanced O2- release, and the absence of increased antitumor activity. Both RNA-DDA and DDA M phi showed an enhanced capacity to ingest and kill L. monocytogenes in vitro, DDA M phi being slightly less effective than RNA-DDA M phi with respect to killing. We conclude that the enhanced killing capacity of M phi for L. monocytogenes is characteristic of both elicited DDA M phi and activated RNA-DDA M phi. The relationship between nonspecific resistance, peritoneal cell numbers, and antibacterial M phi activity is discussed. In addition, it is shown that RNA and DDA retain their activity when they are injected apart, suggesting that they activate M phi by sequential action.     

Neutrophil involvement in effects of diethylstilbestrol and strontium 89 on macrophage activation by Propionibacterium acnes

We have recently demonstrated that diethylstilbestrol (DES) significantly suppresses macrophage (M phi) activation by Propionibacterium acnes. Because the initial activation of M phi by P. acnes appears to involve the close interaction of the killed bacteria with inflammatory neutrophils (PMN) and resident M phi in the peritoneal cavity, we investigated whether the DES inhibition of M phi activation was associated with inhibition of the PMN response. Our data demonstrate that treatment of mice with DES did not interfere with the acute inflammatory peritoneal PMN influx 5 h after P. acnes injection. DES treatment also did not affect development of the early (day 4) tumor cytotoxic activity of P. acnes activated M phi; this M phi activity has been shown to be mediated by the acute PMN influx. DES treatment, however, did reduce M phi activation as evidenced by alterations in other markers typically associated with M phi activation by P. acnes, including the characteristic reductions in alkaline phosphodiesterase (APD) ectoenzyme activity and the total RNA synthesis, as well as the characteristic persistence of the peritoneal PMN response seen on days 4 and 7 after P. acnes injection. In addition, M phi activity 7 days after P. acnes injection was inhibited in DES treated mice, as evidenced by reduced antitumor activity, and alteration of the markers mentioned above. As a second approach to elucidate the involvement of the acute and persistent PMN response in the M phi activation process, we depleted mice of circulating PMN by treatment of mice with 89Sr before administration of P. acnes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)