EFFECT OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE TREATMENT ON COURSE OF MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAEMURIUM INFECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS IN C57B1 AND BALB-C MICE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 34  (1) , 52-58
Abstract
Pre-treatment of M. lepraemurium susceptible BALB/c and resistant C57Bl mice with cyclophosphamide markedly altered the development of delayed hypersensitivity during foot-pad infections with this organism. A tuberculin-type response demonstrated by untreated C57Bl mice was significantly intensified after 3 wk in cyclophosphamide-pre-treated mice although this response returned to normal levels by 8 wk. A Jones-Mote-type response demonstrated throughout experiments by untreated BALB/c mice was considerably increased in magnitude by 3 wk in cyclophosphamide-pre-treated mice. By 6 wk this response became considerably protracted and was of the tuberculin-type. By 8 wk this response started to diminish and by 12 wk cyclophosphamide-treated and untreated BALB/c mice produced similar Jones-Mote-type responses when skin-tested. Cyclophosphamide pre-treatment had no effect on the growth of M. lepraemurium in C57Bl mice over 12 wk. In BALB/c mice cyclophosphamide-pre-treated mice demonstrated considerable resistance to infection at 8 and 10 wk after infection but not thereafter. Whereas the magnitude of the delayed hypersensitivity response in C57Bl mice could not be correlated with resistance, such a relationship could be demonstrated in BALB/c mice.