Specificity of “Cellular immunity”

Abstract

In the present investigation, an attempt was made to find whether there is a fundamental difference between non-specific resistance and acquired specific immunity, by comparing the degree of protection against various bacterial and protozoal infections and resistance to various transplantation of the mice and the rats pre-treated by zymosan, a non-specific stimulant, with those of the animals specifically immunized.The results obtained are as follows:-(1) When infected by such bacteria as Diplococcus pneumoniae (100A strain), Staphylococcus aureus (Smith strain) and Salmonella typhosa (Ty-2 strain) which connot be multiplied in the phagocytes of a mouse, the zymosan-treated mice demonstrated markedly strong resistance. On the other hand, when infected by Salmonella enteritidis (No, 11 Strain) or Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain), no difference from the non-treated mice was recognized and all the mice died.(2) Three different types of grafts were performed: Xenogeneic graft-ascites hepatoma AH39 strain indigenous to rat-to a mouse; allogeneic graft-AH39 tumor cells-to a rat of an inbred Wistar strain; syngeneic graft-ascites hepatoma MH134 indigenous to C3H mouse-to a mouse of C3H/HeN strain.In all of the three cases, rejection of the graft was accelerated when the recipients were pretreated by zymosan. Stronger acceleration was recognized, hewever, in the xenogeneic and allogeneic grafts, while lower in the syngeneic transplants.(3) The death by neoplasma of the zymosan-treated mice was slightly delayed, compared with that of the non-treated mice, when inoculated subcutaneously by 20-methylcholanthrene.(4) Variation in response of the mice administered by zymosan in abdomen to Diplococcus pneumoniae 100A strain was examined periodically. Also the acid phosphatase activity of the peritoneal exudative cells of the pre-treated mice was measured at the same time.It was indicated, as the result, that the variation in response to the bacterial infection closely paralles the enzymatic activity of the peritoneal exudative cells. That is, both decreased for the first several hours after the administration of zymosan, exceeded the normal value after 24 hours and maintained this value for approximately 1 week. Then they decreased rapidly to resume the normal value within 2 weeks.