Fate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis inside rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro.

Rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fate of M. tuberculosis inside macrophages was monitored. Alteration in the levels of nitric oxide (NO) measured in terms of nitrite formed, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lysosomal enzymes such as acid phosphatase, cathepsin-D and beta-glucuronidase in macrophages following M. tuberculosis infection was also studied. Elevation in the levels of nitrite were observed from 72 h of M. tuberculosis infection. Irrespective of the time point, M. tuberculosis infected macrophages produced elevated levels of H2O2. Maximum increase in the level of acid phosphatase was observed from 72 h of M. tuberculosis infection, whereas maximum elevation in the level of beta-glucuronidase was observed 48 h after M. tuberculosis infection. However these microbicidal agents did not alter the intracellular viability of M. tuberculosis.