Open AccessSusceptibility of Mycobacterium Leprae to the Bactericidal Activity of Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages and to Hydrogen Peroxide
Author(s) -
Adam Sharp,
M. Joseph Colston,
D. Banerjee
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/00222615-19-1-77
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , hydrogen peroxide , mycobacterium leprae , mycobacterium , chemistry , biology , bacteria , immunology , leprosy , biochemistry , genetics
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.