Role of murine macrophages and complement in experimental Campylobacter infection.

The roles of macrophages and the complement system as potential host defence mechanisms in mice against campylobacter infection were studied in vivo, by depleting the murine serum-complement or the phagocytic cells. Macrophage-depletion was performed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of silica dust, Liquoid or dextran sulphate. During 5 days after infection, such mice showed a significant increase in mortality, compared with controls. In contrast, mice that were previously decomplemented by i.p. injection of Cobra Venom Factor showed no significant increase in mortality. The results with combined macrophage depletion and decomplementation did not differ from those with macrophage depletion alone. These experiments suggest that macrophages seem to be more important than complement in the defence of mice against experimental campylobacter infection.