The natural killer (NK) activity and lethality were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus and submitted to immunomodulation by P. acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The infected animals were sacrificed at different times and spleen non-adherent cells were obtained through ficoll-hypaque gradient and depletion of glass-adherent cells. Immunosuppression was observed in rabies virus infected mice correlated with lower NK activity in clinically ill animals. Higher NK activity and percentual of survival were observed in the group submitted to P. acnes. The increased survival correlated with higher NK activity induced by P. acnes suggests a protective role of this natural barrier against rabies virus infection in mice.
L'activite des cellules 'natural killer' (NK) et la l'etalite de la rage ont ete evaluees sur des souris infectees experimentalement avec le virus de la rage des rues et soumis a l'immunomodulation par P. acnes (autrefois Corynebacterium parvum). Les animaux infectes ont ete sacrifies a differents moments. Les cellules non-adherentes de la rate ont ete obtenues a travers du ficoll-hypaque. Une immunossupression a ete observee sur les souris infectees correspondant a une activite des cellules NK inferieure sur les animaux cliniquement malades. L'activite des cellules NK et survie superieure ont ete observes dans le groupe soumis aux P. acnes. La survie augmentee correspondant a une plus haute activite NK induite par le P. acnes suggere un role protecteur de cette barriere naturelle contre l'infection du virus de la rage chez les souris.