Stimulation of Nonspecific Resistance to Infection by a Crude Cell Wall Preparation from Mycobacterium phlei

Fox, Alfred E. (Warner-Lambert Research Institute, Morris Plains, N.J.),George L. Evans, Frank J. Turner, Benjamin S. Schwartz, and Ansel Blaustein . Stimulation of nonspecific resistance to infection by a crude cell wall preparation fromMyocobacterium phlei . J. Bacteriol.92: 1–5. 1966.—Exposure of large quantities of viableMycobacterium phlei to attrition in a colloid mill resulted in 90 to 95% disruption of the organisms. Isolation of the crude cell wall preparation was accomplished by centrifugation of the broken cells at 10,000 ×g , resuspension of the sediment, and repeated centrifugation at 1,000 ×g to remove intact cells. Single oral or parenteral doses of the cell wall preparation increased the resistance of mice and guinea pigs to experimental infection withSalmonella enteritidis , and of mice toStaphylococcus aureus , for prolonged periods after administration. Histological examination of the organs of mice treated orally or intraperitoneally revealed a lymphoid hyperplasia of the spleen and a Kupffer cell proliferation of the liver. The preparation was nontoxic to mice by the oral route at doses up to 5,000 mg/kg, and the intraperitonealld 50 was approximately 680 mg/kg.