Differences between Mycobacterium-Host Cell Relationships in Latent Tuberculous Infection of Mice Ex Vivo and Mycobacterial Infection of Mouse Cells In Vitro

Figure 1

The number of macrophages (Mph) with different numbers of acid-fast BCG-mycobacteria (BCG) in them. (a) Macrophages in granulomas (Gran) obtained from the bone marrow (BM/) and spleens (S/) of mice after 20 days (/20 d), one month (/1 m), and two months (/2 m) following infection with the BCG vaccine in vivo and after ex vivo culture for several hours. The number of macrophages with different numbers of BCG-mycobacteria in granulomas expressed as a percentage of the total number of infected macrophages in granulomas stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) method. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM. At hour 48: GranS/2 m (3 mice, ); at hour 72: GranBM/20 d (2 mice, ), GranS/20 d (2 mice, ), GranS/1 m (3 mice, ), and GranS/2 m (5 mice, ); at hour 96: GranS/1 m (1 mouse, ) and GranS/2 m (4 mice, ); at hour 120: GranS/2 m (4 mice, ). (b) Bone marrow macrophages and (c) peritoneal macrophages with different numbers of BCG-mycobacteria following infection with the BCG vaccine in vitro and after culture for several hours. The number of macrophages with different numbers of BCG-mycobacteria expressed as a percentage of the total number of infected macrophages. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM from three independent experiments. In each experiment, more than 1000 cells were analyzed at each time point. P < 0.05 (comparisons of the number of macrophages with 1_4 BCG-mycobacteria^& for the following time points (in hours): (b) 4 versus 96 and 120 and (c) 24 versus 96 and 120; with 20_50 BCG- for the following time points (in hours): (b) 4 versus 72, 96, and 120 and (c) 24 versus 72, 96, and 120; and with >50 BCG- for time points (in hours): (b) 96 versus 120 and (c) 4 versus 72, 96, and 120).

(a)

(b)

(c)