Resistance and Susceptibility of Mice to Bacterial Infection: Histopathology of Listeriosis in Resistant and Susceptible Strains

C57BL/10 mice have previously been shown to be 100 times more resistant to intravenously injected Listeria monocytogenes than are BALB/c mice due to the action of a single gene, Lr. Differences in the histopathology of listeriosis in the two strains were sought. Of the tissues examined, only liver, spleen, blood, and thymus showed changes. In the liver, Listeria localized in Kupffer cells within 3 h of infection. By 24 h these cells became surrounded by neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes. After high doses of Listeria, the susceptible BALB/c mice showed many foci surrounded by few polymorphs, whereas in the resistant C57BL/10 mice there were relatively few foci surrounded by many polymorphs. By 4 days in sublethally infected mice the polymorphs in the liver of both strains were being replaced by monocytes and macrophages. Liver morphology returned to normal by 8 days postinfection. In the blood of both strains there was a rise in total lymphocyte numbers at 24 h, followed by a fall in T-lymphocytes and recovery at 5 days. C57BL/10 mice showed an early monocytic response in the blood, whereas BALB/c mice showed a polymorph leukocytosis. In the spleens of both C57BL/10 and BALB/c mice there was an early neutrophil response and red pulp hyperemia. This was followed by a dramatic lymphocyte depletion in the T-dependent periarteriolar regions in both strains beginning 2 days after infection. Absolute numbers of Thy-1(+) cells in spleen cell suspensions also fell to 10% of normal, recovering 6 to 8 days postinfection. Surface immunoglobulin-positive B-lymphocytes and Thy-1(-), immunoglobulin-negative "null" cells rose in both strains at days 4 to 5, returning to normal levels on days 10 to 12. Whether the null cells represent lymphocytes or other cell types remains unresolved. Thymus atrophy was seen in the BALB/c mice but not in C57BL/10 mice.