The inflammatory macrophage response to MCMV in mice with a retroviral immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS)

We have shown that normal C57BL/6J mice are moderately resistant to infection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) and that this resistance is impaired by prior infection with LP-BM5 MuLV, which causes a disease (MAlDS) similar to early HIV-indueed disease, This study investigates macrophage function in MAIDS(+) mice challenged with MCMV. MAIDS reduces the influx of cells into the peritoneal cavity seen in normal C57BL/6J mice 6 days after MCMV infection, The infiltrates contained cells that resembled activated macrophages, as they took up colloidal gold, expressed the macrophage marker Mac-1, had high levels of acid phosphatase activity, and were lymphocytostatic when co-cultured with activated T cells, MAIDS(+) mice had a higher percentage of cells able to fake up colloidal gold and higher acid phosphatase activity per cell, The cells were also more lymphocytostatic and produced higher levels of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on days 4 and 6 after MCMV infection, Hence, MAIDS enhances baseline and induced macrophage activity, but depresses infiltration into the site of inflammation.