Functional changes in T lymphocytes and macrophages (M phi s) in host mice during the course of Mycobacterium intracellulare infection were studied. In both strains of mice, BALB/c or C57BL/6 (susceptible to M. avium complex) and CBA/JN or C3H/He (resistant to M. avium complex), the smooth, opaque and dome-shaped colonial (SmD) variants of M. intracellulare were easily eliminated from the sites after week 2 of infection. In contrast, the smooth, transparent and irregularly shaped colonial (SmT) variants showed steady growth in the former strains of mice and persisted for long time even in the latter strains of mice. No difference was found between persistence of the organisms in euthymic (+/+) and athymic (nu/nu) BALB/c mice during the first 4 weeks after infection. Thereafter, more rapid growth was seen in the spleens and lungs of nu/nu mice. Thus, matured T cells may be important for the prevention of the progression of M. intracellulare infection to the terminal state. Next, the profiles of generation and characteristics of splenic M phi s which suppress the Con A mitogenic response of splenic T cells in host CBA/JN or BALB/c mice during the course of M. intracellulare infection were investigated. In M. intracellulare--infected mice, reduction in some cellular functions of host splenic T cells, such as the Con A mitogenic response and mixed leucocyte reaction, were seen around 2 weeks after infection, and this was accompanied by appearance of immunosuppressive M phi s in spleen cells (SPCs).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)