Abstract
Previously, we showed the involvement of cell-mediated immunity and the strain difference in BCG cell wall (CW) -induced lung granuloma response. In the present study, morphological and functional changes in lung macrophages from mice injected intravenously with BCG CW were studied. In BCG CW high-responder mice (C57BL/6 [B6] strain), an increase in the size and the acid phosphatase activity of lung macrophages was observed. These alveolar macrophages showed greater microbicidal activity to M. bovis and Listeria monocytogenes, enhanced superoxide anion production index, and greater macrophage migration inhibition activity, as compared with lung macrophages from BCG CW low-responder mice (C3H/He strain), which were small in size and showed weak acid phosphatase activity, low antimicrobial activity, and low superoxide anion production index upon intravenous injection of the mice with BCG CW. These results indicated that lung macrophages from B6 mice injected with BCG CWs were morphologically and functionally activated, but not those from C3H mice.
