Chromosome-mediated resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O9 to intracellular killing by mouse peritoneal macrophages

Abstract The survival of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O9 within mouse peritoneal macrophages was investigated. To evaluate the role of the virulence plasmid in the resistance to intracellular killing, an isogenic pair of virulent (plasmid-bearing) and avirulent (plasmid-less) O9 strains was used. The virulent strain was able to express plasmid-encoded outer membrane proteins and to colonize the Peyer's patches of orally infected mice. When mice were infected intraperitoneally, both strains were recovered at similar rates and over the same time from the peritoneal cavity. When in vitro assays were performed, both strains showed similar resistance to intracellular killing by monolayers of resident and inflammatory peritoneal macrophages. Previous opsonization of bacteria did not modify their survival within macrophage monolayers. We concluded that serotype O9 strains display a chromosome-mediated resistance to intracellular killing by mouse peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, macrophage resistance does not seem to be of importance for virulence of serotype O9 strains in mice.     

Differences in initial rate of intracellular killing of Salmonella typhimurium by granulocytes of Salmonella-susceptible C57BL/10 mice and Salmonella-resistant CBA mice

The contribution of granulocytes to differences in the innate susceptibility of mouse strains to infection by Salmonella typhimurium was assessed on the basis of the size and composition of the inflammatory exudate after i.p. injection of bacteria and the intracellular killing of the bacteria by exudate peritoneal cells and blood granulocytes of resistant CBA and susceptible C57BL/10 mice. The increase in the numbers of both peritoneal granulocytes and macrophages 24 hr after i.p. injection of various numbers of live S. typhimurium was two to four times higher in C57BL/10 mice (p less than 0.05) than in CBA mice. However, despite the larger number of phagocytes in the inflammatory exudate, the numbers of viable S. typhimurium in the peritoneal cavity 24 hr after injection was higher (p less than 0.01) in C57BL/10 mice than in CBA mice. Because the proportion of noningested bacteria was similar in the two mouse strains (less than 30%), these findings indicate a difference in the rate of intracellular killing of the bacteria by exudate peritoneal cells (greater than 75% granulocytes) of the two mouse strains. Subsequent determination of the initial rate of intracellular killing (Kk) of S. typhimurium revealed that after phagocytosis of the bacteria in vivo, exudate peritoneal granulocytes (harvested 24 hr after i.p. injection of 10(3) live S. typhimurium) of CBA mice killed S. typhimurium twice as efficiently (Kk = 0.014 min-1; p less than 0.01) as exudate granulocytes of C57BL/10 mice (Kk = 0.008 min-1) did. Similarly, the initial rate of intracellular killing of the ingested S. typhimurium by blood granulocytes of CBA mice (Kk = 0.017 min-1) was two times higher (p less than 0.01) than that of C57BL/10 mice (Kk = 0.007 min-1). These findings may be specific for S. typhimurium, because L. monocytogenes were killed with equal efficiency by exudate granulocytes and blood granulocytes of these mouse strains (p greater than 0.20). The results of the present study are relevant with respect to the innate resistance of mice to S. typhimurium, particularly during the initial phase of infection when the inflammatory exudate contains predominantly granulocytes.     

Differences in initial rate of intracellular killing of Salmonella typhimurium by resident peritoneal macrophages from various mouse strains

To determine the underlining mechanism of the difference in innate susceptibility of mouse strains to infection by Salmonella typhimurium, the ingestion and in vitro intracellular killing of S. typhimurium by resident peritoneal macrophages of mouse strains that differ in natural resistance to this microorganism has been studied. The results revealed that the rate constants of in vitro phagocytosis (Kph) in the presence of inactivated rabbit immune serum did not differ between macrophages of susceptible C57BL/10 and resistant CBA mice (for both strains: Kph = 0.021 min-1). The rate constant of in vitro intracellular killing (Kk) was determined 1) after in vivo phagocytosis (CBA, Kk = 0.055 min-1; C57BL/10, Kk = 0.031 min-1), 2) after in vitro phagocytosis of preopsonized bacteria (CBA, Kk = 0.020 min-1; C57BL/10, Kk = 0.012 min-1), and 3) during continuous phagocytosis in vitro (CBA, Kk = 0.029 min-1; C57BL/10, Kk = 0.013 min-1). With all three approaches, the initial rate of intracellular killing by normal macrophages of Salmonella-resistant CBA mice amounted to about 1.7 times the value found for macrophages of susceptible C57BL/10 mice (p less than 0.01). This trait difference was independent of the previous way of ingestion of the bacteria, unaffected by the kind of opsonization, and specific for S. typhimurium, because Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were killed by macrophages of these mouse strains with equal efficiency (p greater than 0.50). These findings indicate that a difference in genetic background expressed in the efficacy of intracellular killing by resident peritoneal macrophages immediately upon ingestion of S. typhimurium is relevant for the innate resistance of mice against S. typhimurium.     

Potential use of tuftsin in treatment of candida peritonitis in a murine model

A major complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is peritonitis caused by Candida albicans. Increasing the activity of the peritoneal macrophages, the predominant cell type found in the peritoneal cavity, may be a promising treatment for this infection. Tuftsin was found to increase thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophage activity. 2x10(-7) M tuftsin enhanced two-fold cell association with radiolabelled candida, superoxide aniom production, and killing activity. Thus, a model consisting of mice undergoing peritoneal dialysis was developed in order to study the use of tuftsin as a therapeutic drug against peritoneal candidiasis. Administration of tuftsin (50 micrograms/mouse) before candidiasis induction with a lethal dose of candida (7x10(8) candida per mouse) improved mouse survival up to 70%, compared with 10% in the control group. The potential of tuftsin as a treatment for candidiasis was shown when the infection was induced with a sublethal dose of candida. Daily intraperitoneal injections of tuftsin (50 micrograms) to the sublethally infected mice caused a significant decrease in the number of candida recovered from the peritoneal cavity and from the blood (from 700 +/- 190 to 110 +/- 26 CFU/ml and from 100 +/- 26 CFU/ml to 17 +/- 8 CFU/ml, respectively). In addition, a larger number of peritoneal macrophages with greater phagocytic and killing activity were found in the tuftsin-treated mice. The effect of tuftsin may promote its potential use in the therapy of peritonitis in patients undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis.     

Influence of the Main Phospholipid (MPL) from Thermoplasma Acidophilum and of Liposomes from MPL on Living Cells: Cytotoxicity and Mutagenicity

Abstract

Liposomes of the main phospholipid (MPL) from the archaebacterium Thermplasma acidophilum were investigated for their interference with living cells. Growth of mouse lymphoma cells L5178Y, permanent hamster fibroblasts V79, Ehrlich-mouse-ascites tumor (EMAT) cells and a variety of other celltypes was not influenced by these liposomes. Mutagenicity and antimutagenic efficacy were tested with Salmonella typhimurium TA100 in the “Ames plate-incorporation test”. No cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of liposomes from MPL was detected. The influence of MPL liposomes on ion transport, intracellular pH, electrolytes, membrane potential, energy metabolism, and the biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids in EMAT cells is demonstrated in detail.     

A potent adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A triggers various immune responses, but not secretion of IL-1beta or activation of caspase-1

Lipid A, the membrane anchor portion of LPS, is responsible for the endotoxin activity of LPS and induces many inflammatory responses in macrophages. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a lipid A derivative lacking a phosphate residue, induces potent immune responses with low toxicity. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the low toxicity of MPL, we examined the effects of MPL on the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by mouse peritoneal macrophages, a murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7), and a human macrophage-like cell line (THP-1). MPL enhanced the secretion of TNF-alpha, but not that of IL-1beta, whereas Escherichia coli-type lipid A (natural source-derived and chemically synthesized lipid A) enhanced the secretion of both cytokines. Although MPL enhanced the levels of IL-1beta mRNA and IL-1beta precursor protein to levels similar to those induced by lipid A, IL-1beta precursor processing in MPL-treated cells was much lower than that in E. coli-type lipid A-treated ones. Moreover, MPL, unlike E. coli-type lipid A, failed to induce activation of caspase-1, which catalyzes IL-1beta precursor processing. These results suggest that an immune response without activation of caspase-1 or secretion of IL-1beta results in the low toxicity of this adjuvant.     

CREG促进小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体发生及溶酶体组织蛋白酶表达*

目的:研究E1A激活基因阻遏子(Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes,CREG)对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体发生及溶酶体组织蛋白酶表达的影响。方法:应用loss-of-function和gain-of-function模型,Lysotracker Red染色和透射电镜观察CREG对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体发生的影响,并通过细胞免疫荧光染色和Western blot方法,观察CREG对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体组织蛋白酶表达的影响。结果:Lysotracker Red染色和透射电镜证实CREG可促进小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体发生;细胞免疫荧光染色和Western blot方法证实CREG可促进小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体组织蛋白酶cathepsin B及cathepsin S表达。结论:CREG可促进小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞溶酶体发生及组织蛋白酶cathepsin B及cathepsin S表达。     

Induction of natural killer cell activity in mice by injection of indomethacin

The natural killer (NK) cell system of mice in the peritoneal cavity is of very low to undetectable activity, and testing peritoneal NK cells is a useful model to study the influence of activating substances upon local injection. Injection of indomethacin at doses of 100-400 micrograms/mouse caused a marked activation of NK cell activity which was maximal at 3 days and lasted for a total of 6 days. A similar albeit less marked effect was observed with other cyclooxygenase inhibitors such as aspirin. Prostaglandin E2 reversed the activation of NK cells induced by injection of indomethacin. The cellular count of the peritoneal population was 2-fold elevated after indomethacin injection but the percentage of macrophages in the washed-out cell population was decreased from 60% (controls) to around 20%. The NK cell nature of the effector cells activated by indomethacin was substantiated by the finding that previous injection of anti-asialo GM1 antibody prevented activation. Interferon could not be detected in the peritoneal wash fluid after injection of indomethacin, suggesting interferon-independent activation. However, the possibility of small interferon quantities being locally produced could not be excluded. In further experiments we found after intraperitoneal injection of indomethacin not only cells that killed YAC-1 targets in a 4-hour assay but also killer cells that were insensitive to anti-asialo GM1 and killed P815 cells in an 18-hour assay. We assumed that these were macrophages and have done further experiments with in vitro grown bone-marrow-derived macrophages. These could be activated for killing of P815 targets by the addition of indomethacin, but (to a lesser degree) also for killing of YAC-1 lymphoma cells.     

Biological and Biochemical Characterization of Macrophage Activating Factor (MAF) in Murine Lymphocytes: Role of Mannopyranosyl Residue of the MAF Molecule in Macrophage Activation

Activation of macrophages with macrophage activating factor (MAF) was evaluated by measuring the intracellular killing activity of murine macrophages against Salmonella typhimurium. Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced MAF-rich fraction was obtained by a Sephadex G-100 column, which contained molecules ranging from 25,000 to 67,000 daltons. The intracellular killing ability of mouse peritoneal macrophages against S. typhimurium was found to be increased by 0.1 m d-mannose as well as by Con A-induced MAF-rich fraction. Both 0.1 m d-mannose and MAF exhibited a similar timing pattern for macrophage activation. The same concentration of d-glucose or l-rhamnose did not change bacterial uptake and intracellular killing by macrophages. Moreover, when MAF-rich fraction was applied to a Con A-Sepharose column, a fraction that was adsorbed on Con A and eluted with 0.1 m α-methyl d-mannoside exhibited MAF activity. These results suggest the possibility that mannopyranosyl residues in the MAF molecules play an important role as a ligand in macrophage activation.     

Murine Defense Mechanism against Candida albicans Infection: II. Opsonization,Phagocytosis, and Intracellular Killing of C. albicans

The phagocytic and intracellular killing activities of normal mouse phagocytes against Candida albicans were studied to elucidate the role of these activities in nonspecific and specific defense mechanisms. In the presence of fresh normal mouse serum, viable C. albicans cells were ingested by mouse peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and peritoneal macrophages (PMPs) at the same rate. Serum-chelation experiments indicated that the factors involved in the alternative complement pathway are opsonins for C. albicans. PBLs killed intracellular C. albicans more effectively than PMPs. Lymphokine-activated PMPs manifested marked intracellular killing activity and the occurrence of increased superoxide anion- and singlet oxygen production, in the absence of increased myeloperoxidase (MPO) production, suggests that the enhanced, MPO-independent, oxidative mechanism may play an important role in the candidacidal activity. Specific rabbit antibodies played no role in the phagocytosis and intracellular killing of C. albicans. These results suggest that PMNs and factors involved in the alternative complement pathway, and lymphokine-activated macrophages play major roles in the protection of mice against C. albicans infection.     

Phagocytic killing of Candida albicans by different murine effector cells

Three major phagocytic populations in the mouse were tested in vitro for killing of Candida albicans by means of 51Cr release assay: early inflammatory peritoneal polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), unfractionated or adherent spleen cells and resident peritoneal macrophages (PEC). Considerable candidacidal activity was found in the early inflammatory neutrophil and adherent spleen cell populations. On the contrary, only limited activity was found to be associated with resident peritoneal macrophages. The phagocytic killing apparently involved multiple mechanisms.     

Salmonella-typhimurium-specific difference in rate of intracellular killing by resident peritoneal macrophages from salmonella-resistant CBA and salmonella-susceptible C57BL/10 mice

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the difference between the rate of intracellular killing of Salmonella typhimurium by macrophages of salmonella-resistant CBA and salmonella-susceptible C57BL/10 mice also holds for other salmonellae and other bacteria species. After in vivo phagocytosis, the initial rate of in vitro intracellular killing of S. typhimurium phagetype 505, S. typhimurium phagetype 510, and S. typhimurium M206 by macrophages of CBA mice amounted always to approximately 1.7 times the value found for macrophages of C57BL/10 mice (p less than 0.001), indicating that the difference in killing efficiency between CBA and C57BL/10 macrophages holds for various strains of S. typhimurium. However, some other salmonella species, i.e., S. dublin and S. heidelberg, as well as E. coli 054 and 02K1+, Listeria monocytogenes EGD and L347, and Staphylococcus aureus were killed equally efficiently by macrophages of both mouse strains. These findings indicate that the difference between the rates of intracellular killing by macrophages of salmonella-resistant CBA and salmonella-susceptible C57BL/10 does not hold for several other bacteria species and thus might be specific for S. typhimurium. Subsequent experiments showed that the in vivo proliferation of S. typhimurium 510 in the first 2 days after i.v. injection was 2.0-fold to 3.0-fold higher in the spleens and livers of C57BL/10 mice than in those of CBA mice, whereas the in vivo proliferation of S. dublin and S. heidelberg was between 1.0-fold to 1.4-fold higher in the C57BL/10 mice. These findings suggest that the differences between the rate of in vitro intracellular killing of salmonella by CBA and C57BL/10 macrophages are reflected in differences in the rate of in vivo proliferation of these microorganisms in CBA and C57BL/10 mice. To gain insight into the involvement of the oxidative metabolism of CBA and C57BL/10 macrophages in the difference in the rate of intracellular killing of S. typhimurium, the O2 consumption and H2O2 release by resident peritoneal macrophages was determined. The amplitudes of the respiratory burst and the release of H2O2 was identical in macrophages of the two mouse strains after triggering by either preopsonized heat-killed S. typhimurium or phorbol myristic acetate. These findings indicate that the mouse species-associated difference in the intracellular killing of S. typhimurium is not caused by a difference in the oxidative metabolism of CBA and C57BL/10 macrophages.     

食管癌细胞诱导肥大细胞迁移的小鼠模型

目的建立小鼠肥大细胞（mast cell,MC）迁移模型,探讨化疗药物三氧化二砷对人食管癌EC109细胞株生长的杀伤机理。方法利用肥大细胞的特征性蛋白酶抗体及其免疫荧光标记MC和PI标记EC109细胞内DNA;以流式细胞术分析小鼠腹腔液中肥大细胞各亚型的百分率及肿瘤细胞周期变化;使用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜显示肥大细胞内分泌颗粒的分布。并通过组织化学方法,观察各种诱导处理后小鼠肠组织肥大细胞由肠道向腹腔移动的变化。结果①根据流式细胞仪点图分布分析,将小鼠肥大细胞分为：类胰蛋白酶阳性、类糜蛋白酶阴性（MC T）;类糜蛋白酶阳性、类胰蛋白酶阴性（MC C）和类胰蛋白酶阳性、类糜蛋白酶阳性（MC TC）三种亚型,且T型MC明显多余TC型和C型（P〈0.05）;以共聚焦显微镜显示三种亚型的MC均含有丰富的分泌颗粒并分布于细胞膜内侧,为其出芽突起形成储备的状态。②经组织切片观察到诱导处理后小鼠肠组织MC由肠道向腹腔移动,且胰酶对MC的诱导作用大于食管癌细胞和As2O3。③经诱导迁移入腹腔的MC可能与癌细胞周期由S期向G2/M期跨越相关;As2O3能延迟食管癌细胞的G0/G1期,阻碍细胞向S期跨越,从而抑制食管癌细胞的生长。结论食管癌细胞移入小鼠腹腔,主要诱导T型MC参与免疫反应。在生物机体内环境（这里指MC影响）的条件下,As2O3对肿瘤细胞生长的作用主要表现为促使癌细胞周期的G0/G1期向S期跨越延迟,或G2/M期进入细胞分裂的延迟。     

The influence of antibiotics on phagocytic and bacteriocidal activity of rabbit peritoneal macrophages stimulated by filtrates of cultured t-lymphocytes

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of twelve antibacterial antibiotics (various concentrations) on the activation of rabbit peritoneal macrophages. Macrophages were stimulated by filtrates of culture of lymphocytes T obtained from OVA immunized rabbits. Phagocytic activity and intracellular killing against Listeria monocytogenes were tested by fluorescence method. Penicillin G (0.4-50 mg/l), erythromycin and lincomycin (2.5-40 mg/l) used at all concentrations, were not exerting significant effects on activation of peritoneal macrophages. Cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and rifampicin at low concentrations (0.4-5.0 mg/l) had no influence on phagocytosis and intracellular killing, also. Cephalosporins at concentration 10 mg/l (cephradine and cefamandole) and 50 mg/l (cefotaxime) inhibited intracellular killing and phagocytic activity. The same results were observed with ampicillin and ticarcillin (50 mg/l). The highest suppression effect was demonstrated using rifampicin at concentration 10 mg/l or more. Gentamicin, streptomycin and amicacin at concentrations 40 mg/l or more significantly inhibited macrophage activation in response to filtrates lymphocytes of culture. These inhibitions were more marked with gentamicin (10 mg/l) than amicacin (20 mg/l) or streptomycin (40 mg/l). All antibiotics did not stimulated the activity of peritoneal macrophages. The suppression activity of peritoneal macrophages by some antibiotics probably acts at the level of specific immune system by interfering with cytokine production.     

Tumor necrosis factor, alone or in combination with IL-2, but not IFN-gamma, is associated with macrophage killing of Mycobacterium avium complex

Organisms belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are the most common bacterial pathogens in patients with AIDS but factors associated with the activation of cellular defense mechanisms against this atypical mycobacterium have not been defined. Peritoneal macrophages harvested from a chronic MAC infection in C57 black mice are able to kill approximately 86% of intracellular MAC in contrast to 0 to 20% killing by unstimulated human and mouse macrophages in vitro. The availability of human rTNF-alpha, rIFN-gamma, and rIL-2 permitted evaluation of the role of each of these lymphokines/monokines, alone or in combination, in activating macrophages in vitro to kill MAC. Human monocyte-derived macrophages were cultured in vitro, stimulated with rIL-2, rIFN-gamma, or rTNF, and then infected with MAC (serovars 1 and 8). Mouse peritoneal macrophages were harvested, cultured in vitro, and stimulated with rIFN-gamma. rTNF (10(4) U/ml) was associated with a modest increase of intracellular killing of MAC (58 +/- 5%) even when utilized 24 or 48 h after macrophage infection or when administered for 5 consecutive days after infection (78.1 +/- 4%). Both human and murine IFN-gamma were associated with increased intracellular growth of MAC (32 +/- 4% for murine and 38 +/- 3% for human macrophages). However, intracellular killing (53 +/- 6% compared with control) was observed after 6 days of treatment with IFN-gamma. This latter effect was fully blocked by anti-TNF antibody, whereas rIL-2 alone did not augment the intracellular killing of MAC by human macrophages. rTNF plus either rIFN-gamma or rIL-2 triggered significant increases in superoxide anion production, but subsequent MAC killing was no greater than with rTNF alone. Treatment of macrophages with 10 U/ml of rTNF followed by rIL-2 (200 U/ml) was associated with 68% of intracellular killing. TNF seems to be an important monokine, promoting activation of mycobactericidal mechanisms in human macrophages.     

Division and death rates of Salmonella typhimurium inside macrophages: use of penicillin as a probe.

In mouse peritoneal macrophages infected in vitro with Salmonella typhimurium the number of viable bacteria and the number of stainable bacteria detected by light microscopy both increased at similar rates with a doubling time of more than 1 h. Antibiotics were not present; instead extracellular bacteria were removed by frequently rinsing the cells. The bacterial doubling time in the same medium in the absence of macrophages was about 20 min. Penicillin added to macrophage monolayers rapidly entered the macrophages, reaching a diffusion equilibrium. The penicillin-induced bacterial death rate appeared to depend on the bacterial division rate as well as on the penicillin concentration. These properties of penicillin were used to monitor intracellular bacterial division and death rates. The results indicated that intracellular killing, with the disappearance of stainable bacteria, did not contribute to the extended doubling time in macrophages. It was concluded that the intracellular environment of the bacteria was probably growth inhibitory but not bactericidal.     

Changes in Glutathione Peroxidase Activities and the Oxidative Burst of Leukocytes During Inflammation in the Mouse and Rat

The relationship between glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and opsonized zymosan-induced chemiluminescence (CL) has been studied with exudate leukocytes obtained at different times after induction of inflammatory responses in the mouse peritoneal cavity with heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum and in the rat pleural cavity with I-carrageenin. GSH-Px activity in mouse peritoneal exudate cells fell markedly after 2–4h, returning to normal within 1–2 days. The lowered enzyme activity was associated with an increased ability of the cells to generate CL. Rat pleural exudate cells exhibited a slight fall in GSH-Px activity after 6h which increased to supranormal levels within 1–2 days. During this period the ability of the cells to generate CL continually increased. The data indicate that during the early phase of increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inflammatory leukocytes, the intracellular protective mechanism, represented by GSH-Px, is compromised. Subsequently, GSH-Px activity increases to or above initial levels possibly due to the presence of mononuclear cells and/or as a response to the increased generation of ROS.     

Evidence for the existence of two forms of membrane tumor necrosis factor: an integral protein and a molecule attached to its receptor

Plasma membranes were isolated from thioglycolate-induced peritoneal mouse macrophages and tested directly in a 51Cr-release assay against WEHI 164 tumor cells. These membranes showed anti-TNF antibody inhibitable killing of the TNF-sensitive tumor cell line, indicating that membrane-associated TNF is present on mouse macrophages. In order to elucidate whether membrane TNF is an integral protein or a molecule attached to a receptor, cells and plasma membranes were treated with low pH buffer. A partial reduction in TNF activity was observed which could be restored by incubation with exogenous TNF. In a Western blot analysis the integral membrane TNF could be identified as the 26-kDa molecule on activated mouse macrophages. These results indicate that both forms of membrane-associated TNF exist on macrophages and are responsible for cell-mediated cytotoxicity against TNF-alpha-sensitive targets.     

Effect of aflatoxins on rat peritoneal macrophages

Phagocytosis, intracellular killing of Candida albicans, and superoxide production by rat peritoneal macrophages exposed to aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, B2a, and M1 at several times and concentrations were analyzed to evaluate the intensity of a depressive effect for each mycotoxin. All aflatoxins used at very low concentrations had a depressive effect on the functions of macrophages. The biggest impairment of phagocytosis, intracellular killing, and spontaneous superoxide production was observed in macrophages exposed to aflatoxins B1 and M1.     

Lowering of bactericidal activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages under combined use of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A and endotoxin

The present study investigated the effect of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA) and endotoxin Serratia marcescens (LPS) on the phagocytosis and killing of Staphylococcus aureus by mouse peritoneal macrophages. Two hours after enterotoxin intraperitoneal injection phagocytic and bactericidal activity were depressed. 24 hours later there was increased functional activity of macrophages by SEA and LPS, apart. But when two toxins were administered together (LPS four hours later enterotoxin) marked inhibition of bacterial killing was observed. When peritoneal macrophages were treated in vitro for 24 hours with the same toxins they were also markedly suppressed in bactericidal activity.