Stimulation of Nonspecific Host Resistance to Infection Induced by Muramyldipeptides

The effect of muramyldipeptide (MDP), N ‐acetylmuramyl‐l‐alanyl‐d‐isoglutamine [MDP(Ala)], and its analogs on bacterial infection was studied using the experimental model of sepsis infection in mice. Injection of MDP(Ala) gave mice definitive protection against E. coli infection, but only partial protection against P. aeruginosa or K. pneumoniae infection. Several factors influencing the protective activity of MDP (Ala) on E. coli infection were studied, and it was demonstrated that the activity was induced by various routes of administration of MDP(Ala), including the oral route, and was markedly influenced by the bacterial inoculum size. It was also shown that the effective dose of MDP(Ala) was 100 μ g per mouse for intraperitoneal, intravenous or subcutaneous injections and 1,000 μ g per mouse when administered orally. Furthermore, the optimal interval between MDP‐treatment and infection was 24 hr when the treatment was carried out before infection. Clearance of bacterial cells in blood was observed after E. coli infection in mice treated with MDP(Ala). The efficacy of MDP(Ala) and two analogs, N ‐acetylmuramyl‐l‐valyl‐d‐isoglutamine [MDP(Val)] and N ‐acetylmuramyl‐l‐seryl‐d‐isoglutamine [MDP (Ser)], was evaluated for the E. coli infection; MDP(Val) was proven to be slightly less active than MDP(Ala), and MDP(Ser) to be the least effective, although MDP(Val) or MDP(Ser) was reported to have higher adjuvanticity than MDP (Ala) for the development of delayed‐type hypersensitivity.