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Effects of Bacterial Products on Lymphocytes and Macrophages: Their Possible Role in Natural Resistance to Listeria Infection in Mice¹

From the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Abstract

Fluids from Listeria monocytogenes cultures contain products that possess a number of biologic activities. The fluids contain a mitogenic substance for B lymphocytes. Thus, their injection into mice produces striking hyperplasia of the B cell zones of the spleen. Also, lymphocytes in vitro are stimulated to proliferate, regardless of whether they are first depleted of T lymphocytes by exposure to anti- serum plus complement. These fluids injected intraperitoneally activate macrophages as judged by morphologic criteria. Mice that receive the products develop a transitory state of nonspecific resistance to infection by live Listeria. The relationships between B cell mitogenicity and macrophage activation—and protection—were not established. This kind of reaction of lymphoid cells to Listeria products may represent an early nonspecific line of defense against bacterial invasion.

Footnotes

¹ This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AI-10091 and 1-P01-CA-14723. Dr. Petit is supported by a grant from the Phillipe Foundation of France, and Dr. Unanue is the recipient of a Research Career Award from the National Institutes of Health.