SUGGESTED ROLE OF LYSOSOMAL LIPID IN CONTRASTING EFFECTS OF TRITON WR-1339' AND DEXTRAN ON TUBERCULOUS INFECTION

THE non-ionic surface-active agent 'Triton WR-1339' retards the development of experimental tuberculosis when injected into mice; furthermore, bacterial multiplication is slowed in peritoneal macrophages isolated from rabbits and guinea-pigs previously treated with this substance and infected in tissue culture with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The chemically related agent 'Macrocyclon', which is less toxic than 'WR-1339' and can be used directly in tissue culture, is as effective as 'WR-1339' in the living mouse and is also active when added to mouse peritoneal macrophages before or after intracellular infection1-3. Dextran, on the other hand, accelerates the intracellular growth of tubercle bacilli when added to similar macrophage cultures3. These substances are thought to act on the cell rather than the bacterium1,3; because they probably accumulate in the macrophage lysosomes3 it seemed logical to examine the possible role of these organelles in tuberculous infection. In particular we wished to know whether any of the constituents of the detergent-containing and dextran-containing lysosomes would show inhibitory or other effects on the bacilli cultured in vitro, in the absence of macrophages. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.