Faculty Collaboration Database

Mouse interstitial lung disease and pleuritis induction by human Mollicute-like organisms. Br J Exp Pathol 1988 Dec;69(6):891-902

Date

12/01/1988

Pubmed ID

3219289

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2013284

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0024267214 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   7 Citations

Abstract

Mollicute-Like Organisms (MLO) are cell-wall deficient intracellular bacterial pathogens. As MLO are non-cultivable, detection is based on finding typical Mollicute bodies within the host cell using a transmission electron microscope. Extracellular Mollicutes cause disease by a variety of mechanisms. MLO cause disease by similar mechanisms, and in addition directly alter the host cell nucleus, replace the cytoplasm, and destroy the organelles. MLO parasitization of plant cells causes a well studied chronic vascular disease reversible by tetracycline antibiotics. Recently similar MLO were reported to cause human chronic ocular vasculitis. As it parasitizes, lyses, and destroys leucocytes, it has been termed Leucocytoclastic MLO. Inoculation of this MLO into mouse eyelids produced delayed onset chronic ocular and lethal cardiac vasculitis. All lesions demonstrated tissue lysis with leucocytic infiltrates and MLO parasitized leucocytes. MLO-caused human and mouse disease responds to Rifampin. This report describes the 40 interstitial lung disease lesions in 21 of 100 of those MLO inoculated mice vs 0 in 200 controls (P less than 0.05) and 27 pleuritis lesions in 17 mice vs 0 control mice (P less than 0.05). The lung and pleural disease were associated in 13 lesions and unassociated in 41 lesions. MLO parasitized leucocytes were found in both the lung and pleural lesions from six of six MLO inoculated mice versus none of six controls. As most human interstitial lung and pleural diseases are idiopathic and closely resemble this mouse disease, they may be induced by MLO and treatable by Rifampin.

Author List

Wirostko E, Johnson LA, Wirostko WJ

Author

William Wirostko MD Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Leukocytes
Lung
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred Strains
Microscopy, Electron
Mycoplasmatales
Mycoplasmatales Infections
Pleura
Pleurisy
Pulmonary Fibrosis