Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1983 Dec;42(3):1109–1115. doi: 10.1128/iai.42.3.1109-1115.1983

Killing of Aspergillus spores depends on the anatomical source of the macrophage.

A Schaffner, H Douglas, A I Braude, C E Davis
PMCID: PMC264414  PMID: 6642661

Abstract

To resolve the controversy over the capacity of macrophages to kill or inhibit germination of Aspergillus spores, we compared this function in peritoneal and alveolar macrophages. Alveolar macrophages from rabbits killed 82 to 90% and completely digested 72 to 82% of spores of Aspergillus fumigatus in 30 h. In contrast, peritoneal macrophages could not even inhibit the germination of ingested spores; more than 85% transformed into mycelia within 24 h. Killing by alveolar macrophages was delayed for 3 to 6 h after phagocytosis and was independent of oxidative killing mechanisms and immune activation. The ability of alveolar macrophages to kill Aspergillus spores without modulation by T lymphocytes or the generation of oxygen intermediates points out that concepts built on studies of peritoneal macrophages may be misleading and underscores the importance of studying the role of macrophages in immunity with cells from the appropriate anatomical site.

Full text

PDF
1110

Images in this article

1112Image
on p.1112
1113Image
on p.1113

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bøyum A. Isolation of lymphocytes, granulocytes and macrophages. Scand J Immunol. 1976 Jun;Suppl 5:9–15. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Diamond R. D., Krzesicki R., Epstein B., Jao W. Damage to hyphal forms of fungi by human leukocytes in vitro. A possible host defense mechanism in aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Am J Pathol. 1978 May;91(2):313–328. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Lehrer R. I., Ferrari L. G., Patterson-Delafield J., Sorrell T. Fungicidal activity of rabbit alveolar and peritoneal macrophages against Candida albicans. Infect Immun. 1980 Jun;28(3):1001–1008. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.3.1001-1008.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lehrer R. I., Jan R. G. Interaction of Aspergillus fumigatus Spores with Human Leukocytes and Serum. Infect Immun. 1970 Apr;1(4):345–350. doi: 10.1128/iai.1.4.345-350.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MYRVIK Q. N., LEAKE E. S., FARISS B. Lysozyme content of alveolar and peritoneal macrophages from the rabbit. J Immunol. 1961 Feb;86:133–136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Merkow L. P., Epstein S. M., Sidransky H., Verney E., Pardo M. The pathogenesis of experimental pulmonary aspergillosis. An ultrastructural study of alveolar macrophages after phagocytosis of a flavus spores in vivo. Am J Pathol. 1971 Jan;62(1):57–74. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Merkow L., Pardo M., Epstein S. M., Verney E., Sidransky H. Lysosomal stability during phagocytosis of Aspergillus flavus spores by alveolar macrophages of cortisone-treated mice. Science. 1968 Apr 5;160(3823):79–81. doi: 10.1126/science.160.3823.79. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Nakagawara A., Nathan C. F., Cohn Z. A. Hydrogen peroxide metabolism in human monocytes during differentiation in vitro. J Clin Invest. 1981 Nov;68(5):1243–1252. doi: 10.1172/JCI110370. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Rose H. D. Mechanical control of hospital ventilation and Aspergillus infections. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1972 Feb;105(2):306–307. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1972.105.2.306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Schaffner A., Douglas H., Braude A. Selective protection against conidia by mononuclear and against mycelia by polymorphonuclear phagocytes in resistance to Aspergillus. Observations on these two lines of defense in vivo and in vitro with human and mouse phagocytes. J Clin Invest. 1982 Mar;69(3):617–631. doi: 10.1172/JCI110489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Simon L. M., Robin E. D., Phillips J. R., Acevedo J., Axline S. G., Theodore J. Enzymatic basis for bioenergetic differences of alveolar versus peritoneal macrophages and enzyme regulation by molecular O2. J Clin Invest. 1977 Mar;59(3):443–448. doi: 10.1172/JCI108658. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Williams D. M., Weiner M. H., Drutz D. J. Immunologic studies of disseminated infection with Aspergillus fumigatus in the nude mouse. J Infect Dis. 1981 May;143(5):726–733. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.5.726. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES