Staphylococcidal Capability of Rabbit Peritoneal Macrophages in Relation to Infection and Elicitation: Induction and Elicitation of Activated Macrophages

Abstract

The capability of macrophages to inactivate ingested staphylococci can be augmented when repeated infection is followed by specific elicitation with staphylococcal lysate. The increase in staphylococcidal capability with specific elicitation after infection is not dramatic but is statistically significant. The percentage of change in staphylococcidal capability after infection and specific elicitation is systematically related to the staphylococcidal capability of the populations of macrophages in the same rabbits studied prior to infection. When the capability of the initial populations of macrophages has been high, the percentage of change after infection and elicitation may be slight or even negative. When the staphylococcidal capability of the initial population of macrophages in a given rabbit has been low, there is typically a significant increase in this capability after infection and elicitation. It is shown at the cellular level that it is possible to evoke a population of activated macrophages, by a procedure which is analogous to procedures reported as useful in human practice.

Resistance to Microbial Infection ‐ Vaccines in Theory and Practice

“…Can the specific induction and elicitation of the cellular immune response by one organism be utilised to afford non-specific protection against a wide range of intracellular pathogens? Lenhart and Mudd (1972b), in considering this prospect in human medicine, ask whether reticuloendothelial activation will prove sufficient to counter such infections as the common cold, influenza, leprosy and trachoma. The answer to these questions lies in the future.…”

Lack of biological significance of in vitro Brugia malayi microfilarial cytotoxicity mediated by Propionibacterium acnes ("Corynebacterium parvum")-and Mycobacterium bovis BCG-activated macrophages

“…The nonspecific activation of host macrophages by agents such as C. parvum or BCG has been found to correlate with increased resistance to various bacterial (21), protozoal (4,23), and helminthic (2,3,7,22) infections. In vitro experiments have demonstrated an enhancement of tumoricidal (9,11), bactericidal (14,21), and fungicidal (26) activities by these agents. In the present study, the interaction between C. parvum-or BCG-activated macrophages and MF of the human blood-borne filarial parasite B. malayi was examined.…”

“…Immunostimulation with various agents, such as Propionibacterium acnes ("Corynebacterium parvum") or Mycobacterium bovis BCG, has been found to result in the nonspecific activation of host macrophages (9). Macrophages activated by these agents have enhanced in vitro tumoricidal (9,11), bactericidal (14,21), and fungicidal (26) activities mediated by arginase (5,12,20) or products of oxidative metabolism (10,18,19,26) or both. C. parvum and BCG have also been shown to enhance in vivo resistance to tumors (1) and to bacterial (21), protozoal (4,23), and helminthic (2,3,7,22) infections.…”

DELAYED‐TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY TO S. AUREUS AND ITS USES

“…Since the activation state of the macrophages was not solely a function of the induction and elicitation, but doubtless also reflected some activation by the injected mineral oil, as well as other factors, the result obtained could probably have been anticipated. 18 It may be concluded, therefore, that repeated infection of rabbits with viable staphylococci of low virulence evokes delayed-type hypersensitivity, but does not of itself augment the staphylococcidal capability of the peritoneal macrophages. Repeated infections with staphylococci, followed by appropriate elicitation with SPL, however, do on the average increase the staphylococcidal capability of the peritoneal macrophages.…”