COMPARISON OF CYTO-TOXIC AND MICROBICIDAL FUNCTION OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR AND PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (4) , 513-519
Abstract
Studies were carried out with mice to explore in vitro the effector function(s) of macrophages from 2 different anatomical compartments (peritoneal cavity and lungs). The cytotoxic capacity of macrophages was measured by determining their cytostatic and cytocidal effects on EL-4 [murine T lymphoma] tumor target cells, and the microbicidal capacity of macrophages was measured by determining their ability to kill or inhibit the intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. Neither peritoneal macrophages (PM) nor bronchoalveolar macrophages (BAM) from normal mice were ever microbicidal or cytotoxic. Treatment (i.v.) with Corynebacterium parvum [Propionibacterium acnes] greatly enhanced (activated) both effector functions of PM but did not activate BAM. Chronic infection with Toxoplasma activated PM throughout the observation period (> 140 days), but the presence of activated BAM was transient and appeared to coincide with inflammatory response occurrence in the lungs.