IN-VITRO MODULATION OF PRELEUKEMIC AKR MOUSE MACROPHAGE FUNCTION BY BACTERIAL IMMUNOMODULATORS

Spleen macrophages from 1- and 4-month-old preleukemic AKR mice were s timulated in vitro with the bacterial immunomodulators lipopolysacchar ide (LPS), peptidoglycan monomer (PGM) and muramyl dipeptide (MDP), in order to study their migration ability and mitochondrial enzyme activ ity. Macrophages from 1-month-old AKR mice, characterized by higher fu nctional activity, failed to demonstrate any changes in the parameters studied after in vitro stimulation with the employed compounds. Conve rsely, the depressed macrophage function, spontaneously developed in 4 -month-old AKR mice, most probably related to the preleukemic state, i mproved significantly and to about the same extent with all three immu nomodulators.