Lung defenses against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in C5-deficient mice with different genetic backgrounds

Lung defenses against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated in C5-deficient strains of mice with different genetic backgrounds. We studied pulmonary clearance and cell responses after aerosol exposure to P. aeruginosa in C5-deficient B10.D2/oSnJ and DBA/2J mice and their closest C5-sufficient counterparts, B10.D2/nSnJ and DBA/1J mice. Different patterns of lung clearance and pulmonary cell responses were found for the two C5-deficient strains. C5-deficient B10.D2/oSnJ mice showed defective lung clearance of P. aeruginosa 4 h after challenge compared with C5-sufficient B10.D2/nSnJ animals. This finding was associated with a decreased number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes recruited into the airways during the same time. Interestingly, C5-deficient DBA/2J mice recruited higher numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes than did C5-sufficient DBA/1J mice by 4 h after aerosolization. Nevertheless, lung clearance of P. aeruginosa in DBA/2J mice was not as effective as in C5-sufficient DBA/1J mice, suggesting that other functions of C5 besides chemotaxism could be involved. Lung clearance of P. aeruginosa was also investigated in C5-deficient and -sufficient hybrids sharing the same genetic background (DBA/2J X B10.D2). The results suggested that murine lung clearance of P. aeruginosa is markedly affected by lack of C5 in a specific genetic background (B10.D2).