Impact of IL-10 pulmonary gene expression in mouse M. tuberculosis infection. Mus musculus

The cytokine IL-10 deactivates macrophages and has been shown to impair resistance to mycobacterial infection. We have infected transgenic mice overexpressing IL-10 under control of the macrophage-specific CD68 promoter (macIL-10tg mice) with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by aerosol and found increased bacterial loads in the lungs of macIL-10tg mice. To identify programs of genes regulated by IL-10 and associated with increased mycobacterial replication, genome-wide expression analysis was performed. Keywords: Effect of infection; effect of genotype; timecourse Overall design: Impact of IL-10 pulmonary gene expression in mouse M. tuberculosis infection