The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 26, Issue 1 55-59, Copyright © 1988 by Society for General Microbiology
Role of murine macrophages and complement in experimental Campylobacter infection
W. Bar
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. FRG.
The roles of macrophages and the complement system as potential host
defence mechanisms in mice against campylobacter infection were studied in
vivo, by depleting the murine serum-complement or the phagocytic cells.
Macrophage-depletion was performed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of
silica dust, Liquoid or dextran sulphate. During 5 days after infection,
such mice showed a significant increase in mortality, compared with
controls. In contrast, mice that were previously decomplemented by i.p.
injection of Cobra Venom Factor showed no significant increase in
mortality. The results with combined macrophage depletion and
decomplementation did not differ from those with macrophage depletion
alone. These experiments suggest that macrophages seem to be more important
than complement in the defence of mice against experimental campylobacter
infection.
