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Biological effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A: Lymphoproliferation of T lymphocytes in athymic mice

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Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A has been observed to exert modulatory effects on the immune response. The present study examines the ability of exotoxin A to induce proliferation of splenocytes from athymic nu/nu mice. We observed that exotoxin A induced the proliferation of athymic nude splenocytes which could be abrogated by heating the toxin at 70°C or by preincubation of the toxin with rabbit anti-exotoxin A antiserum. Photoaffinity-labelled toxin sigificantly induced splenocyte proliferation although the relative activity was reduced. Maximum nude splenocyte proliferation was observed at a toxin dose of 100 ng. This same dose was shown previously for athymic splenocytes to induce an enhanced response to the thymus-dependent (TD) antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The increased [3H]-TdR uptake in athymic splenocytes stimulated by exotoxin A was initiated by 24 hours and continued to day 10, Nude splenocytes depleted of Ig+ and Ia+ cells were induced to proliferate by exotoxin A. Cyclosporin A addition abrogated the ability of exotoxin A to induce proliferation. These results suggest that Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A can stimulate the proliferation of splenic T lymphocytes in athymic nu/nu mice.

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  1. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, 65212, Columbia, Missouri

    P. S. Holt & L. Misfeldt

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  1. P. S. Holt
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  2. L. Misfeldt
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Holt, P.S., Misfeldt, L. Biological effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A: Lymphoproliferation of T lymphocytes in athymic mice. Eur J Epidemiol 4, 25–32 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152688

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