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Lactoferrin-mediated protection of the host from murine cytomegalovirus infection by a T-cell-dependent augmentation of natural killer cell activity

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Summary

The administration of bovine lactoferrin (LF) with 1 mg/g body weight before the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection completely protected the BALB/c mice from death due to the infection. In these LF-treated mice, a significant increase in the activity was found in the NK cells but not in the cytolytic T lymphocytes which recognized an MCMV-derived peptide. Moreover, the elimination of the NK cell activity by an injection with anti-asialo GM1 antibody abrogated such augmented resistance, thus supporting the hypothesis that the LF-mediated antiviral effect in vivo is performed through the augmentation of NK cell activity. No such LF-mediated antiviral effect in vivo with the increased NK cell activity was found in athymic nude mice, whereas it was restored completely by the transfer of splenic T cells from LF-treated donors. These findings therefore suggest that T lymphocytes induce both the augmentation of NK cell activity and the resultant antiviral effect in the LF-treated hosts.

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Author notes

  1. K. Shimizu & S. Tazume

    Present address: Department of Nursing, Tokai University School of Health Sciences, Kanagawa, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan

    K. Shimizu, H. Matsuzawa, K. Okada, S. Tazume, K. Hashimoto & Y. Koga

  2. Technical Research Institute, Snow Brand Milk Products Co, Saitama, Japan

    S. Dosako & Y. Kawasaki

Authors
  1. K. Shimizu
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  2. H. Matsuzawa
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  3. K. Okada
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  4. S. Tazume
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  5. S. Dosako
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  6. Y. Kawasaki
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  7. K. Hashimoto
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  8. Y. Koga
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Shimizu, K., Matsuzawa, H., Okada, K. et al. Lactoferrin-mediated protection of the host from murine cytomegalovirus infection by a T-cell-dependent augmentation of natural killer cell activity. Archives of Virology 141, 1875–1889 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718201

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718201

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