Studies on tubercle bacillus-histiocyte relationship. V. Passive transfer of cellular resistance

Experimental Salmonellosis VI. In Vitro Transfer of Cellular Immunity of Mouse Mononuclear Phagocytes

Saito, Kazuko (Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan), and Susumu Mitsuhashi. Experimental salmonellosis. VI. In vitro transfer of cellular immunity of mouse mononuclear phagocytes. J. Bacteriol. 90:629-634. 1965.-A culture medium of the mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes) of mice immunized with live vaccine of Salmonella enteritidis contains the transfer agent (TA) of cellular immunity from immune to non-immune monocytes. The TA is of ribonucleic acid nature, is nondialyzable through cellophane, and maintains its active state for 3 months in a frozen state (-10 C) and for 24 hr at 37 C.

STUDIES OF TUBERCLE BACILLUS-HISTIOCYTE RELATIONSHIPS. VI. INDUCTION OF CELLULAR RESISTANCE BY RIBOSOMES AND RIBOSOMAL RNA

The various cellular components of immune rabbit histiocytes have been analyzed for their ability to induce cellular resistance in normal animals. The results of these investigations have shown that the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions were inactive and that the microsomal and ribosomal fractions were active. The importance of ribonucleic acid in induction of cellular resistance was established by isolation of an active ribosomal RNA and by demonstration of inactivation of this material with ribonuclease but not with deoxyribonuclease or trypsin. The possibility that viable bacilli were present in immune ribosomes was tested; the absence of complement-fixing antibodies and of skin reactivity to tuberculin in animals inoculated with ribosomes was considered as partial evidence of absence of living bacilli.

STUDIES OF TUBERCLE BACILLUS-HISTIOCYTE RELATIONSHIPS. VII. HOMOLOGOUS AND HETEROLOGOUS TRANSFER OF CELLULAR RESISTANCE

Immunization of mice or guinea pigs with BCG rendered all or most of the histiocytes of these animals resistant to necrotization by virulent H37Rv; this cellular resistance was mediated by immune serum. Immune mouse histiocytes (from BCG-immunized animals) were able to induce cellular resistance in normal homologous and heterologous (rabbit) animal species; mouse histiocytic ribosomes were also tested in the homologous species and found to be active. Immune guinea pig histiocytes (from BCG-immunized guinea pigs) were ineffective in transferring cellular resistance to either homologous or heterologous (mouse and rabbit) animal species. Immune rabbit histiocytes were capable of inducing cellular resistance in mice and guinea pigs; rabbit histiocytic ribosomes were also tested in normal mice and found to be active in induction of cellular resistance. Recipient guinea pig histiocytes (from guinea pigs inoculated with immune rabbit histiocytes) were capable of inducing cellular resistance in normal guinea pigs and rabbits. Cultivation of lysed immune histiocytes of all three animal species on glycerol-blood agar medium failed to reveal any viable BCG; this provided one additional bit of evidence against the idea that induction of cellular resistance is due to viable bacilli.

STUDIES OF TUBERCLE BACILLUS-HISTIOCYTE RELATIONSHIPS. 8. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CELLULAR RESISTANCE INDUCED BY BRUCELLA AND MYCOBACTERIA

Comparison of the Brucella-immune and the BCG-immune histiocyte, each of which is resistant to necrotization by either Brucella or mycobacteria, has revealed a number of dissimilarities in their behavior. The Brucella-immune histiocyte was found to be incapable of transferring its resistance to the cells of normal animals; it was also unable to achieve attenuation of virulent tubercle bacilli. In contrast, the BCG-immune histiocyte and certain of its subcellular components (ribosomes and ribosomal RNA) were effective in inducing cellular resistance in normal animals against both Brucella and mycobacteria. When RNA was used, only immune ribosomal RNA was effective; when intact ribosomes were used, both immune and recipient ribosomes proved active. These investigations have also shown that the resistance of the BCG-immune histiocyte against Brucella and mycobacteria was of long duration and not readily dissociable.

In vitro studies on the mechanism of acquired resistance to tuberculous infection. II. The effects of the culture supernatants of specifically stimulated-sensitized lymphocytes on the growth of tubercle bacilli within macrophages

Immune lymph node cells were obtained from mice immunized with bovine gamma globulin (BGG) in complete Freund's adjuvant or allogeneic MH134 tumor cells. They showed the capacity of conferring bactericidal activity on macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, H37Rv, when they were incubated on macrophage monolayers together with the corresponding antigen, i.e., BGG or solubilized cellular antigen of the tumor cells. However, such capacity was lower than that of tubercle bacilli-immune lymph node cells. Culture supernatants were harvested after incubation of tubercle bacilli-immune, BGG-immune or allogeneic tumor-immune lymph node cells with the corresponding antigen for 24 hr. Macrophages were altered so as to suppress intracellular bacillary growth when macrophage monolayers were exposed to the supernatants for more than 2 days. When normal lymph node cells were incubated on normal macrophage monolayers together with a mitogen such as PHA or concanavalin A, growth of tubercle bacilli within the macrophages was slightly but difinitely suppressed. The mechanism of elicitation of cellular immunity to the infection with tubercle bacilli is discussed on the basis of results presented in this and the preceding paper.

In vitro studies on the mechanism of acquired resistance to tuberculous infection. I. The relationship between lymphocytes and macrophages in cellular immunity to tuberculous infection

The relationship between lymphocytes and macrophages in cellular immunity against tuberculous infection was studied by means of an in vitro cell culture system without addition of streptomycin. The peritoneal macrophages were obtained from normal mice or mice immunized with heat-killed tubercle bacilli in paraffin oil, boosted with live BCG and infected with H37Rv cells in vitro. The infected monolayers of macrophages were cultivated for 48 hr with immune lymphoid cells obtained from immunized mice. The intracellular growth of H37Rv cells 3,5 and 7 days after infection was examined by counting tubercle bacilli within infected macrophages under a microscope. 1) The increase of bacilli within macrophages derived from immunized mice was slightly smaller than that in normal macrophages. 2) The addition of immune lymph node cells to the macrophage monolayers resulted in a marked decrease in the number of bacilli within both normal and "immune" macrophages. Conversely, normal lymph node cells exhibited an enhancing effect on the intracellular bacillary growth. 3) Immune lymph node cells showed a higher capacity to cause macrophages to suppress intracellular growth of bacilli than that of splenic lymphoid cells or thyrmocytes after addition to macrophage monolayers. 4) The treatment of lymphoid cells with inhibitors of protein synthesis, cycloheximide or streptovitacin A, resulted in a remarkable reduction of the ability of sensitized lymphocytes to cause macrophages to suppress multiplication of intracellular bacilli.

Transfer of adoptive immunity to tuberculosis in mice

A system is described for studying adoptive immunity to tuberculosis in syngeneic mice. Donor mice were immunized with 10(4) BCG intravenously, and lymphoid cells were harvested 28 days later. Adoptive immunity was measured in recipient mice in terms of the inhibition of growth of BCG in the liver and spleen following intravenous injection. Adoptive immunity was expressed optimally when recipients were sublethally irradiated (500 R), challenged with 10(4) to 10(5) viable organisms, and given sensitized lymphoid cells intravenously. Adoptive immunity was not manifest until 14 days after challenge and was effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv as well as BCG. Immunity could be conferred by spleen, lymph node, peritoneal exudate, and resident peritoneal (washout) cells. The lymphoid cells conferring immunity were shown to be thymus-dependent lymphocytes by virtue of their nonadherence to glass wool and sensitivity to anti-theta serum plus complement. The sensitized cells were relatively susceptible to both in vitro and in vivo X-irradiation.

Immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in rats

After intravenous injection into rats, both the attenuated strain R1Rv and the virulent strain H37Rv of Mycobacterium tuberculosis grow in the liver and spleen. However, the infected rats mount a specific immune response with great rapidity, giving a false impression of natural resistance to the tubercle bacillus. Adoptive immunity to tuberculosis was achieved by transferring thoracic duct cells from immunized donors to normal syngeneic recipients. The transferred immunity was vested in a population of lymphocytes uncontaminated with macrophages. The adoptive immunity was effectively expressed against both attenuated and virulent tubercle bacilli, and it was shown to be immunologically specific. Lymphocytes which conferred immunity to tuberculosis were not protective against Listeria monocytogenes infection, and vice versa. Immunity could not be transferred with either normal thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL), heat-killed sensitized TDL, or serum from specifically immunized donors. The ability of TDL from BCG-immunized donors to confer immunity was maintained at an unimpaired level for at least 3 months after immunization.

Cellular hypersensitivity and cellular immunity in the pathogensis of tuberculosis: specificity, systemic and local nature, and associated macrophage enzymes

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Expermental salmonellosis. XI. Induction of cellular immunity and formation of antibody by transfer agent of mouse mononuclear phagocytes

When mice were injected intraperitoneally with a ribonucleic acid (RNA) preparation extracted from the peritoneal mononuclear phagocytes (termed monocytes) of immunized mice, these macrophages developed cellular immunity and cellular antibodies. The peritoneal monocytes were obtained from normal mice and maintained in tissue culture bottles in a homogeneous cell population. When they were treated in vitro with an immune RNA preparation, they acquired cellular immunity, and cellular antibodies were detectable in such monocytes. These results suggest that the mononuclear phagocytic cell line constitutes a cell line responsible for antibody formation.