A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Experimental Escherichia coli peritonitis in immunosuppressed mice: the role of specific and non-specific immunity
Authors: Vuopio-Varkila J
Publication year: 1988
Journal: Journal of Medical Microbiology
Journal name in source: Journal of medical microbiology
Journal acronym: J Med Microbiol
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
First page : 33
Last page: 9
Number of pages: 7
ISSN: 0022-2615
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-25-1-33(external)
Abstract
An experimental Escherichia coli septicaemia-peritonitis model was adapted to immunosuppressed mice. The mice were made neutropenic by a sublethal dose of cyclophosphamide, which resulted in a 100-fold increase in their susceptibility to intraperitoneal injection of E. coli O18:K1. A lethal infection could be prevented by passive immunisation with anti-K1 capsular or anti-O18 LPS antibodies but not with anti-J5 bacterial antibodies. The anti-K1 and anti-O18 antisera were able to increase the LD50 of the E. coli challenge by factors of 50 and 5, respectively. The role of non-specific, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated resistance to infection was also investigated in this model, in which only long-living phagocytic cells such as macrophages are believed to be functional. Pretreatment of mice with LPS was shown to prevent growth of the bacterial challenge in the peritoneal cavity and blood and to result in a five-fold increase in the LD50 of the challenge strain. These findings suggest an important role for macrophages as effector cells in defence against E. coli infection.
An experimental Escherichia coli septicaemia-peritonitis model was adapted to immunosuppressed mice. The mice were made neutropenic by a sublethal dose of cyclophosphamide, which resulted in a 100-fold increase in their susceptibility to intraperitoneal injection of E. coli O18:K1. A lethal infection could be prevented by passive immunisation with anti-K1 capsular or anti-O18 LPS antibodies but not with anti-J5 bacterial antibodies. The anti-K1 and anti-O18 antisera were able to increase the LD50 of the E. coli challenge by factors of 50 and 5, respectively. The role of non-specific, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated resistance to infection was also investigated in this model, in which only long-living phagocytic cells such as macrophages are believed to be functional. Pretreatment of mice with LPS was shown to prevent growth of the bacterial challenge in the peritoneal cavity and blood and to result in a five-fold increase in the LD50 of the challenge strain. These findings suggest an important role for macrophages as effector cells in defence against E. coli infection.
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