Enhancement of antibacterial activity of clofazimine against Mycobacterium avium Mycobacterium intracellulare complex infection induced by IFN-gamma is mediated by TNF-alpha

The effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) alone or in combination with free or liposomal clofazimine against Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare complex (MAC) were investigated. Treatment of murine resident peritoneal macrophages with 50 U/mL IFN-gamma (pre-infection) or 30 U/mL TNF-alpha (post-infection), caused significant reduction in intracellular MAC growth; this response was suppressed by anti-TNF-alpha antibodies or pentoxifylline. Activation of macrophages with IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha enhanced the intracellular activities of free and liposomal clofazimine against MAC; the individual antimycobacterial activities of free and liposomal clofazimine, however, were comparable. In the beige mouse model, IFN-gamma was ineffective, while liposomal clofazimine significantly decreased the infection in liver and spleen; the use of N-G-monomethyl-L-arginine, a nitric oxide inhibitor, enhanced the effect of IFN-gamma against MAC infection. In addition, treatment of infected mice with either IFN-gamma or liposomal clofazimine significantly reduced the infection in peritoneal macrophages.