Improved clearance of Mycobacterium avium upon disruption of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1999

Authors

Gomes, MS (Author) Other; Florido, M (Author) Other; Pais, TF (Author) Other; Appelberg, R (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Immunology

Vol. 162

Pages: 6734-6739

ISSN: 0022-1767

Publisher: American Association of Immunologists

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 103 Citations

Scopus - 113 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-001-47J

Abstract (EN): Mice genetically deficient in the inducible NO synthase gene (iNOS-/-) were used. to study the role played by NO during infection by Mycobacterium avium. iNOS-/- macrophages were equally able to restrict M, avium growth in vitro following stimulation by IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha as macrophages from wild-type mice. In vivo, the infection progressed at similar rates in wild-type-and NO-deficient mice during the first 2 mo of infection, but the latter mice were subsequently more efficient in clearing the mycobacteria than the former. The increased resistance of iNOS-/- mice was associated with higher IFN-gamma levels in the serum and following in vitro restimulation of spleen cells with specific Ag, increased formation of granulomas and increased survival of CD4(+) T cells. We show that NO is not involved in the antimycobacterial mechanisms of M, avium-infected macrophages and, furthermore, that it exacerbates the infection by causing the suppression of the immune response to the pathogen.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6