Macrophages from athymic nude mice were infected in vitro with Mycobacterium leprae to study the intracellular fate of this organism. Using the proportional bactericidal test, we have shown that the viability of M. leprae declines rapidly within these macrophages, although results of clearance experiments demonstrate that live and killed organisms are cleared at comparable rates. We have also shown that M. leprae is susceptible to the bactericidal effects of hydrogen peroxide and we suggest that hydrogen peroxide generated by macrophages is responsible for the killing of intracellular M. leprae.
BrownC A,
BrownI N.
1982; Mycobacterium bovis, BCG, modulation of murine antibody responses: influence of dose and degree of aggregation of live or dead organisms. British Journal of Experimental Pathology 63:133–143
ChangY T,
NeikirkR L.
1965; Mycobacterium lepraemurium and Mycobacterium leprae in cultures of mouse peritoneal macrophages (Preliminary results). International Journal of Leprosy 33:586–603
ColstonM J,
HilsonG R F,
BanerjeeD K.
1978; The ‘proportional bactericidal test’: a method for assessing bactericidal activity of drugs against Mycobacterium leprae in mice. Leprosy Review 49:7–15
DawsonP J,
ColstonM J,
FieldsteelA H.
1983; Infection of the congenitally athymic rat with Mycoacterium leprae
. International Journal of Leprosy 51:336–346
HaidarisC G,
BonventreP F.
1982; A role for oxygen-dependent mechanisms in killing of Leishmania donovani tissue forms by activated macrophages. Journal of Immunology 129:850–855
HalvorsonH O,
ZieglerN R.
1933; Application of statistics to problems in bacteriology. 1. A means of determining bacterial population by the dilution method. Journal of Bacteriology 25:101–121
HilsonG R F,
BanerjeeD K.
1974; The proportional bactericidal test: a method for testing in vivo bactericidal action of a persistent drug. IRCS. Medical Science 2:1037
HolmesI B,
HilsonG R F.
1972; The effect of rifampicin and dapsone on experimental Mycobacterium leprae infections: minimum inhibitory concentrations and bactericidal action. Journal of Medical Microbiology 5:251–261
JackettP S,
AberV R,
LowrieD B.
1978; Virulence and resistance to superoxide, low pH and hydrogen peroxide among strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Journal of General Microbiology 104:37–45
KatochV M,
WayneL G,
DiazG A.
1982; Serological approaches for the characterization of catalase in tissue-derived mycobacteria. Annales de Microbiologie (Institut Pasteur) 133B:407–414
KirchheimerW F,
StorrsE E.
1971; Attempts to establish the armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus Linn) as a model for the study of leprosy. 1. Report of lepromatoid leprosy in an experimentally infected armadillo. International Journal of Leprosy 39:693–702
SharpA K,
BanerjeeD K.
1984; Attempts at cultivation of Mycobacterium leprae in macrophages from susceptible animal hosts. International Journal of Leprosy 52:189–197
WheelerP R,
GregoryD.
1980; Superoxide dismutase, peroxidatic activity and catalase in Mycobacterium leprae purified from armadillo liver. Journal of General Microbiology 121:457–464
YamagamiA,
ChangY T.
1977; Growth of Mycobacterium lepraemurium in cultures of macrophages obtained from various sources. Infection and Immunity 17:531–534