The effect of phospholipids from Listeria monocytogenes and Aspergillus fumigatus on degradation of bacterial antigens by mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Investigations were carried out on an influence of phospholipids from L. monocytogenes and A. fumigatus on the degradation of Streptococcus faecalis cell walls by mouse peritoneal macrophages. It has been found, that macrophages from mice stimulated with phospholipids under studies degraded streptococcal cell walls labeled with DL-alanine-I-14C more efficiently than normal macrophages. Activated macrophages degraded also more rapidly antigenic structures of bacterial cell walls reacting with specific fluorescein-labeled antibodies. Moreover, the increase in activity of lysosomal acid hydrolases in stimulated macrophages was observed. The experiments performed suggest that increased ability of macrophages to degradation of bacterial antigens may be connected with a primary augmentation of lysosomal enzyme activity.