In vitro modulation of preleukemic AKR mouse macrophage function by bacterial immunomodulators.

Spleen macrophages from 1- and 4-month-old preleukemic AKR mice were stimulated in vitro with the bacterial immunomodulators lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan monomer (PGM) and muramyl dipeptide (MDP), in order to study their migration ability and mitochondrial enzyme activity. Macrophages from 1-month-old AKR mice, characterized by higher functional activity, failed to demonstrate any changes in the parameters studied after in vitro stimulation with the employed compounds. Conversely, the depressed macrophage function, spontaneously developed in 4-month-old AKR mice, most probably related to the preleukemic state, improved significantly and to about the same extent with all three immunomodulators.