In Vitro Interactions Between Rabbit Alveolar Macrophages andPasteurella tularensis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nutter, J. E. (Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.),and Q. N. Myrvik. In vitro interactions between rabbit alveolar macrophages andPasteurella tularensis. J. Bacteriol.92:645–651. 1966.—Rabbit alveolar macrophages were successfully employed in a study of host cell-Pasteurella tularensisinteractions in vitro. Under cell culture conditions in which inhibitory antibiotics were not employed and small infection ratios were used, the relative in vivo virulence of two strains ofP. tularensiswas duplicated. As a consequence of intracellular multiplication, normal macrophages were killed in relation to the virulence of the strain employed. Alveolar macrophages were also collected from immune rabbits, and macrophage mortality and bacterial growth were significantly suppressed below levels observed with normal macrophage preparations. The effect of immune serum could only be ascribed a minor role in the observed reactions. A marked intravenous toxicity ofP. tularensisfor the rabbit was observed with both virulent and attenuated strains. The toxicity was possessed only by viable preparations and could be elicited in animals immune to virulent challenge.