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The influence of bacterial exotoxins and endotoxins on the phagocytic activity of human macrophages in culture

Der Einfluß von Bakterien-Exotoxinen und -Endotoxinen auf die Phagozytoseaktivität von menschlichen Makrophagen in Kultur

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Summary

The effect of bacterial exotoxins and endotoxins on phagocytosis was tested on human macrophages in monolayer cultures by determining the rate of zymosan particle ingestion at different toxin concentrations and incubation times. The exotoxins tested were staphylococcal alpha-toxin and diphtheria toxin. The endotoxins used were lipopolysaccharides fromSalmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri andSerratia marcescens. Phagocytosis was significantly impaired after prolonged incubation with diphtheria toxin whereas alpha-toxin was ineffective. Endotoxin-treated macrophages showed a wide range of phagocytic activity. Enhancement of phagocytosis was observed with a low concentration of endotoxin (1 µg/ml) fromS. typhi, S. typhimurium andS. flexneri. Higher concentrations (2.5 and 5 µg/ml) depressed phagocytosis to varying extents, except forS. typhi lipopolysaccharide, which did not induce a significant decrease in phagocytosis in comparison to the controls.

Zusammenfassung

Der Einfluß von Bakterien-Exotoxinen und -Endotoxinen auf die Phagozytose wurde an menschlichen Makrophagen in Monolayer-Kulturen durch Bestimmung der Aufnahmerate von Zymosanpartikeln bei verschiedenen Toxinkonzentrationen und Inkubationszeiten getestet. Bei den untersuchten Exotoxinen handelte es sich um das Staphylokokken-alpha-Toxin und Diphtherie-Toxin; bei den Endotoxinen um Lipopolysaccharide vonSalmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri undSerratia marcescens. Diphtherie-Toxin führte nach längerer Inkubation zu einer erheblichen Beeinträchtigung der Phagozytose; alpha-Toxin war hingegen unwirksam. Die Phagozytoseaktivität Endotoxin-behandelter Makrophogen variierte erheblich. Mit niedrigen Konzentrationen (1 µg/ml) vonS. typhi-, S. typhimurium-undS. flexneri-Endotoxin wurde eine Verstärkung der Phagozytose beobachtet. Höhere Konzentrationen (2,5 und 5 µg/ml) beeinträchtigten die Phagozytose in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß; eine Ausnahme bildete das Lipopolysaccharid vonS. typhi, das keine im Vergleich zu Kontrollen signifikante Verminderung der Phagozytose induzierte.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Internal Medicine, II School of Medicine, University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    C. D'Onofrio

  2. Institute of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    F. Paradisi

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  1. C. D'Onofrio
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  2. F. Paradisi
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D'Onofrio, C., Paradisi, F. The influence of bacterial exotoxins and endotoxins on the phagocytic activity of human macrophages in culture. Infection 11, 137–143 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01641292

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