Factors influencing phagocytosis of Salmonella typhimurium by macrophages in murine schistosomiasis

• Main Authors: Muniz-Junqueira Maria Imaculada, Prata Aluízio, Tosta Carlos Eduardo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 1997
• Subjects: Schistosomiasis; Salmonella typhimurium; Macrophages; Phagocytosis; Chronic salmonellosis associated with schistosomiasis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/14ff549f776641a19a76840d826b7857

We investigated the influence of Salmonella typhimurium load and specific antibodies on phagocytosis in schistosomiasis. Macrophages from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice showed depressed capacity to increase the phagocytosis in the presence of a high bacterial load, due to a reduced involvement of these cells in phagocytosis and to a deficient ability to increase the number of phagocytosed bacteria. Normal and Salmonella-infected mice increased their phagocytic capacity when exposed to a high bacterial load. Antibody to Salmonella increased the phagocytic capacity of macrophages from Schistosoma-infected mice due to an increase in the number of bacteria phagocytosed but caused no modification in the number of macrophages engaged in phagocytosis. Our data indicate that macrophages from Schistosoma-infected mice work close to their functional limit, since no increase in phagocytosis was observed after increasing the bacterial load. Specific antibodies can improve their phagocytic capacity and, therefore, could help clearing concurrent infection.