Author:
Terkawi Mohamad Alaa,Cao Shinuo,Herbas Maria S.,Nishimura Maki,Li Yan,Moumouni Paul Franck Adjou,Pyarokhil Asadullah Hamid,Kondoh Daisuke,Kitamura Nobuo,Nishikawa Yoshifumi,Kato Kentaro,Yokoyama Naoaki,Zhou Jinlin,Suzuki Hiroshi,Igarashi Ikuo,Xuan Xuenan
Abstract
In the present study, we examined the contributions of macrophages to the outcome of infection withBabesia microti, the etiological agent of human and rodent babesiosis, in BALB/c mice. Mice were treated with clodronate liposome at different times during the course ofB. microtiinfection in order to deplete the macrophages. Notably, a depletion of host macrophages at the early and acute phases of infection caused a significant elevation of parasitemia associated with remarkable mortality in the mice. The depletion of macrophages at the resolving and latent phases of infection resulted in an immediate and temporal exacerbation of parasitemia coupled with mortality in mice. Reconstituting clodronate liposome-treated mice at the acute phase of infection with macrophages from naive mice resulted in a slight reduction in parasitemia with improved survival compared to that of mice that received the drug alone. These results indicate that macrophages play a crucial role in the control of and resistance toB. microtiinfection in mice. Moreover, analyses of host immune responses revealed that macrophage-depleted mice diminished their production of Th1 cell cytokines, including gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Furthermore, depletion of macrophages at different times exaggerated the pathogenesis of the infection in deficient IFN-γ−/−and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Collectively, our data provide important clues about the role of macrophages in the resistance and control ofB. microtiand imply that the severity of the infection in immunocompromised patients might be due to impairment of macrophage function.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Immunology,Microbiology,Parasitology
Cited by
28 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献