Klebsiella pneumoniae has been isolated from
liver abscesses in patients with leukaemia or diabetes. The resistance of
Klebsiella infection in
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-hyporesponsive mice is unclear. Female C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeN mice, 6-8 weeks old, were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with K. pneumoniae. The results showed that C3H/HeJ mice were 24 times more susceptible [lethal dose 50% (LD50) 250 colony-forming units] than C3H/HeN mice to K. pneumoniae
infection. C3H/HeJ mice, uninfected or infected with K. pneumoniae, had higher liver
interleukin (IL)-10 levels and
IL-10 mRNA levels than C3H/HeN mice. Previously, pretreatment with IL-1beta and tumour
necrosis factor-alpha (
TNF-alpha) protected C3H/HeJ mice from lethal
bacterial infection. Therefore the effects of pretreatment with IL-1beta and
TNF-alpha or antimurine
IL-10 antibody i.p. 1 hr before this
infection in both strains of C3H mice were examined. Pretreatment with
TNF-alpha or anti-IL-10 antibody enhanced the survival of both strains of mice.
TNF-alpha, in combination with IL-1beta, enhanced the survival and bacterial clearance better than single pretreatment in C3H/HeJ mice. Anti-IL-10 antibody increased bacterial clearance and significantly reduced liver
cytokine mRNA levels in C3H/HeJ mice more than it did in the controls during
infection. These results indicate that exogenous
cytokine modulation or neutralization of
IL-10 enhance the resistance of LD50
infection in C3H/HeJ mice.