RECOMBINANT HUMAN MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AUGMENTS PULMONARY HOST DEFENCES AGAINST ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2001-07, Vol.15 (2), p.87-95
• Main Authors: Gonzalez, Corina E., Lyman, Caron A., Lee, Sondra, Del Guercio, Carla, Roilides, Emmanuel, Bacher, John, Gehrt, Andreas, Feuerstein, Erwin, Tsokos, Maria, Walsh, Thomas J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Aspergillosis - immunology; Aspergillosis - pathology; Aspergillus /Host defense/Macrophage-Colony-Stimulating factor/Pulmonary; Aspergillus fumigatus - drug effects; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases, Fungal - drug therapy; Lung Diseases, Fungal - immunology; Lung Diseases, Fungal - pathology; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - pharmacology; Macrophages - immunology; Phagocytosis - drug effects; Phagocytosis - immunology; Pneumonia - drug therapy; Pneumonia - microbiology; Pneumonia - pathology; Pulmonary Alveoli - pathology; Pulmonary Embolism - drug therapy; Pulmonary Embolism - pathology; Rabbits; Recombinant Proteins; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1006/cyto.2001.0889

The in vivo and ex vivo effects of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were studied in a profoundly neutropenic rabbit model in order to determine its potential to augment pulmonary host defence againstAspergillus . M-CSF (100–600μg/kg/d) was administered prophylactically to neutropenic rabbits with pulmonary aspergillosis starting three days pre-inoculation and then throughout neutropenia. Rabbits receiving M-CSF had significantly increased survival (P=0.01) and decreased pulmonary injury, as measured by decreased pulmonary infarction (P=0.004), when compared with untreated controls. Microscopic studies demonstrated greater numbers of activated pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) in lung tissue of rabbits receiving M-CSF, in comparison to controls (P