Pathogenic role of macrophages in intradermal infection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in thermally injured mice

Akira Asai, Yasuhiro Tsuda, Makiko Kobayashi, Toshiaki Hanafusa, David N. Herndon, Fujio Suzuki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Intradermal infection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in burned mice was pathogenically analyzed. An abscess was formed in normal mice intradermally infected with 108 CFU/mouse of MRSA, and all of these mice survived after the infection; however, abscess formation was not demonstrated to occur in burned mice similarly exposed to the pathogen, and all of these mice died within 5 days of infection. In burned mice, MRSA infected at the burn site intradermal tissues spread quickly throughout the whole body, while in normal mice, the pathogen remained localized at the infection site. Macrophages (Mφ) isolated from the infection site tissues of normal mice produced interleukin-12 (IL-12) but not IL-10 and were characterized as M1Mφ. These M1Mφ were not isolated from the infection site tissues of burned mice. When normal-mouse infection site tissue Mφ were adoptively transferred to burned mice at the MRSA infection site, an abscess formed, and the infection did not develop into sepsis. In contrast, an abscess did not form and sepsis developed in normal mice that were inoculated with burned-mouse infection site tissue Mφ. These Mφ produced IL-10 but not IL-12 and were characterized as M2Mφ. These results indicate that abscess formation is a major mechanism of host resistance against intradermal MRSA infection. M1Mφ in the tissues surrounding the infection site play a pivotal role in abscess formation; however, the abscess is not formed in burned mice where M2Mφ predominate. M2Mφ have been described as inhibitor cells for Mφ conversion from resident Mφ to M1Mφ.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4311-4319
Number of pages9
JournalInfection and immunity
Volume78
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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