ENHANCING EFFECT OF MURINE POLYMORPHONUCLEAR NEUTROPHILS (PMN) ON THE MULTIPLICATION OF BLASTOMYCES-DERMATITIDIS INVITRO AND INVIVO

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 54  (2) , 587-594
Abstract
The effect of murine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) on the multiplication of the fungal pathogen B. dermatitidis in vitro and in vivo was determined. With a newly devised method, PMN were obtained in adequate numbers (7 .times. 106/mouse) and purity (92%) for these studies. In 24 h co-cultures, PMN, but not lymph node cells (LNC), enhanced the replication of virulent (V) and avirulent (AV) strains of B. dermatitidis, 61 an 34%, respectively. In 72 h co-cultures, multiplication was enhanced even more (V, 180%; AV, 140%), when compared to cultures of b. dermatitidis in medium alone. Viability of PMN was not required; PMN lysates, but not LNC lysates, were effective in enhancing multiplication. S.c. injection of B. dermatitidis mixed with PMN enhanced multiplication by 90% compared to V alone in a s.c abscess model; mixing with LNC did not enhance multiplication. When AV, a strain which does not by itself replicate in vivo, was injected in vivo with PMN, it increased 2.75-fold over 4 days. These findings document the in vivo significance of in vitro enhancement of B. dermatitidis replication by PMN and support the contention that accumulation and death of PMN in B. dermatitidis lesions may exacerbate this infection in its early stages.