Effect of Three Strains of Propionibacteria (P. granulosum, P. avidum, P. acnes) and Cell-Wall Preparations on Lymphocytes and Macrophages

Abstract

The effect of the strains of Propionibacteria (P. granulosum, P. avidum, P. acnes) on functional and metabolic activities of mouse lymphocytes and rabbit macrophages was examined in vivo and in vitro. In some of the experiments bacterial cell walls isolated from the above bacteria were tested and compared with the activity of whole bacteria.

In isolated lymph-node lymphocytes influx of ⁸⁶Rb and its inhibition by ouabaine, release of ⁸⁶Rb and ⁵¹Cr from prelabelled cells, as well as spontaneous and PHA-stimulated incorporation of ³H-uridine were tested after treatment with 10 or 50 μg/ml of Propionibacteria (whole cells or cell walls). Phagocytosis of ³²P-labelled Staphylococci and reduction of Nitro-BT were examined in isolated rabbit peritoneal macrophages treated with the above concentrations of Propionibacteria. Clearance of ³²P-labelled Staphylococci from peripheral blood in rabbits treated with 5 mg per kg body weight of Propionibacteria was also studied. All three strains of Propionibacteriae stimulated ⁸⁶Rb influx into lymphocytes, the effect being observed only in concentrations leading to parallel increase of ⁸⁶Rb and ⁵¹Cr release from prelabelled cells. No significant differences in activity between the three tested strains of bacteriae were found.

Propionibacteria of a dosage of 50 μg/ml significantly increased spontaneous and PHA-stimulated incorporation of ³H-uridine into lymphocytes. All three strains of Propionibacteria markedly stimulated both phagocytosis and intracellular digestion (as measured by the ability to reduce Nitro-BT) in isolated peritoneal macrophages. This was accompanied by faster clearance of Staphylococci from peripheral blood of rabbits treated with 5 mg per kg body weight of Propionibacteriae.

The obtained results showed direct stimulation of lymphocytic and macrophagic functional activity by whole cells and isolated cell walls of all three tested strains of Propionibacteria.