Enhancement of innate immunity against Mycobacterium avium infection by immunostimulatory DNA is mediated by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Infect Immun. 2001 Oct;69(10):6156-64. doi: 10.1128/IAI.69.10.6156-6164.2001.

Abstract

Bacterial DNA and its synthetic immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotide analogs (ISS-ODN) activate innate immunity and promote Th1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte immune responses. Based on these activities, we investigated whether ISS-ODN could modify the course of Mycobacterium avium infection. M. avium growth in vitro was significantly inhibited by ISS-ODN treatment of human and mouse macrophages, and M. avium growth in vivo was similarly inhibited in C57BL/6 mice treated with ISS-ODN. This protective effect of ISS-ODN was largely independent of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 12 (IL-12), nitric oxide, NADPH oxidase, alpha/beta interferon (IFN-alpha/beta), and IFN-gamma. In contrast, we found that the induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) was required for the antimycobacterial effect of ISS-ODN. To evaluate the potential for synergism between ISS-ODN and other antimycobacterial agents, treatment with a combination of ISS-ODN and clarithromycin (CLA) was tested in vitro and in vivo. ISS-ODN significantly enhanced the therapeutic effect of CLA in both human and mouse macrophages and in C57BL/6 mice. This study newly identifies IDO as being involved in the antimicrobial activity of ISS-ODN and suggests the usefulness of ISS-ODN when used in combination with conventional chemotherapy for microbial infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Clarithromycin / pharmacology
  • DNA / immunology
  • DNA / therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
  • Interferon-alpha / immunology
  • Interferon-beta / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interleukin-12 / immunology
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Monocytes / cytology
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • Monocytes / microbiology
  • Mycobacterium avium / growth & development
  • Mycobacterium avium / immunology
  • NADPH Oxidases / immunology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / immunology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / immunology*
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / therapeutic use
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Thionucleotides / immunology*
  • Tryptophan Oxygenase / immunology*
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis / immunology*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / immunology

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Thionucleotides
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interferon-beta
  • Interferon-gamma
  • DNA
  • Tryptophan Oxygenase
  • NOS2 protein, human
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Nos2 protein, mouse
  • NADPH Oxidases
  • Clarithromycin