Desferrioxamine-promoted virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica in mice depends on both desferrioxamine type and mouse strain.

The effects of desferrioxamine B (DFOB) and G (DFOG) on growth promotion and virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica as well as on T cell activation and proliferation were investigated. Both desferrioxamines promoted growth of Y. enterocolitica O:8 (WA-314) and O:3 (Y-108). DFOB had a greater immunosuppressive effect on T cells than did DFOG. These results suggest a dual role of DFOB in yersiniosis: growth promotion of the pathogen and immunosuppression of the host. The LD50 of both Yersinia strains for mice was reduced by DFOB but not by DFOG. However, the LD50 of yersiniae was reduced by DFOB to a greater extent in Yersinia-resistant C57BL/6 than in Yersinia-susceptible BALB/c mice. The different impact of DFOB on the LD50 of Y. enterocolitica in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice might be due to an immunomodulating effect of DFOB.