Effects of dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide on phagocytosis and digestion of Listeria monocytogenes by mouse peritoneal macrophages

Listeria monocytogenes was labelled with [³H]-thymidine and phagocytosis in vivo, measured after the intraperitoneal injection of killed or viable listeria. The loss of intracellular radioactivity after incubation in vitro was used as a measure for digestion. Killing was assessed by counting the numbers of viable listeria before and after in vitro incubation. Peritoneal macrophages from mice immunized with viable listeria showed better phagocytosis and digestion of both killed and viable listeria than macrophages from normal mice. Viable listeria were digested to a lesser degree than killed ones by both normal and immune macrophages. The simultaneous injection of the surfactant dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA) with killed or viable listeria greatly depressed the digestion of listeria. Phagocytosis of viable listeria was not affected whereas that of killed listeria was slightly enhanced. The injection of 10⁸ killed listeria mixed with DDA greatly impaired the digestion of viable listeria 7 days but not 1 day after injection. The impairment of digestion was accompanied by an increase in the number of intracellular viable listeria.