STUDIES ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN HOST CELL AND PARASITE .2. REACTION OF PULMONARY CELLS CULTURED INVITRO TO VIRULENT TUBERCLE BACILLI

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Abstract
Three types of cells, macrophages, epithelial cells, and spindle cells, grown in cultures of embryonic lung tissue of the guinea pig, were subjected to contact with virulent strains of tubercle bacilli, and the cell-bacilli relations were studied. The macrophage had the strongest phagocytosis of the 3. This cell also showed bacilli-disintegrating action in the early stage of infection, but it was markedly-injured by the intracellular bacilli. In contrast to the macrophage, the epithelial cell could ingest only few bacilli; but these few intracellular bacilli could multiply at a high growth rate, forming characteristic cords. Despite this vigorous growth of virulent bacilli, the cytopathic effect of the bacilli was least on the epithelial cell. The spindle cell, also, could sometimes ingest a few bacilli, but the bacilli could not form intracellular cords.