Assuntos
Infecções por Mycobacterium/imunologia , Fosfatase Ácida/análise , Fosfatase Alcalina/análise , Animais , Histocitoquímica , Lisossomos/análise , Lisossomos/ultraestrutura , Macrófagos/ultraestrutura , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos , Infecções por Mycobacterium/metabolismo , Mycobacterium lepraemuriumRESUMO
The effect of the infection with M. lepraemurium on the activity of several lysosomal enzymes of mouse peritoneal cells was studied. The enzymes studies were acid- and alkaline-phosphatases, acid (cathepsin D-type) proteinase, beta-glucuronidase, deoxyribonuclease, a nonspecific lipase, and lysozyme. Enzyme determinations were carried out four months and six months after the infection with 15.5 X 10(7) bacilli per mouse. Clear differences between M. lepraemurium-infected and normal animals were observed at four months of infection, with all of the mentioned enzyme activities well above the normal values. At six months of infection, a tendency to decrease to normal values of the enzyme activities was observed. It is suggested that this biochemical activation of mouse peritoneal cells reflects the effect of the cell-mediated immune response triggered by the infection with the murine leprosy bacillus. M. lepraemurium-infected mice possess macrophages in a high state of biochemical activation; yet, they are unable to get rid of the infecting microorganism.