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Biomedical subjects

H Finger

Publications and source records attributed to H Finger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Immunoadjuvant effects of the synthetic muramyl-dipeptide (MDP) N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine.

The adjuvant activity of the synthetic muramyl-dipeptide (MDP) N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine upon immunization of mice with BSA or SRBC was studied. MDP was found to significantly increase BSA-antibody formation and to favour the induction of anaphylactic reactions to BSA. In contrast, under the conditions employed, MDP only weakly stimulated the immune response to SRBC.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine

[Resistance to infection with Listeria monocytogenes in normal and thymusless mice treated with ampicillin (author's transl)].

NMRI mice were infected intravenously with a sublethal dose of Listeria monocytogenes and divided into four groups. One group served as the control and the other three were treated with ampicillin beginning 4, 8 or 24 hours after infection. The animals were injected in the morning and in the evening each time with 4 mg ampicillin subcutaneously until a total dose of 48 mg was reached. As demonstrated by counting of the bacteria in the spleen, Listeria could multiply in the ampicillin treated mice in comparison to the control group at best delayed but the infection continued to persist for some days at a level of 10(3)-10(4) Listeriae per spleen independent from the starting point of the treatment. Eight days after the first infection all animals received a challenge dose of 10(4) Listeriae. Compared with the control animals the ampicillin treated mice had a clearly reduced immunity, even in the group in which ampicillin application had been started 24 hours after the primary infection. If the challenge infection was given at first after an intervall of six weeks between primary and secondary infection, only a reduced immunity was found. Furthermore, whereas spleen cells of mice 7 days after infection were able to transfer immunity to untreated recipients, spleen cells of ampicillin treated mice were unable to do so. Finally, an attempt was made to cure chronic listeric infection in thymusless nude mice by the application of high doses of ampicillin. The observation of a continuous infection in these animals showed that the T-cells played a primary importance in the elimination of the bacteria.

Ampicillin

Suppression of the secondary immune response by specific antibody, when given together with the secondary antigenic stimulus.

It is generally believed that antibody-mediated immunosuppression can be only produced in non-primed individuals, and that this applies both to experimental animals and Rh-negative women at risk. However, in this paper it is reported that the additional injection of 0.2 ml of an antiserum to sheep erythrocytes (SE) together with a secondary antigenic stimulus of 10(8) SE into mice, primarily immunized by a tiny dose of 5 x 10(5) SE 28 days before, was capable of producing effective suppression of the secondary immune response.

Animals

Cell-mediated resistance to infection with Listeria monocytogenes in nude mice.

Congenitally dysthymic nude (nu/nu) NMRI mice showed increased resistance to viable Listeria monocytogenes cells during the initial phase of infection as compared with euthymic control mice. The intravenous mean lethal dose (LD50), as determined for euthymic mice after an observation time of 7 and 14 days, amounted consistently to 6 X 10(4) Listeria. The corresponding values determined in nude mice were found to be increased by either 20-fold (1.2 X 10(6) Listeria after an observation time of 7 days) or 4-fold (2.4 X 10(5) Listeria after an observation time of 14 days). The transfer of spleen cells from immune euthymic donor mice into chronically infected nude mice caused almost complete elimination of Listeria within 1 week. The injection of dextran sulfate 24 h before a secondary infection with L. monocytogenes caused loss of antibacterial resistance in both chronically infected nude mice and Listeria-immune euthymic mice, this being expressed by a rapid increase in the numbers of bacteria in the spleens as well as the occurrence of serious signs of illness.

Animals

[Adjuvant activity of gram-negative bacteria and their structural components (author's transl)].

Regarding the adjuvant activity of gram-negative bacteria we have to distinguish at least 4 different potencies, i.e., 1) increase in the production of circulating antibodies during the primary and secondary immune responses; 2) induction of susceptibility to systemic anaphylaxis; 3) prompt production of experimental "allergic" diseases, and 4) increase in resistance to infections. Although all gram-negative bacteria contain several structural components with adjuvant potencies, the immunopotentiating effectiveness of the corresponding whole bacteria becomes--with the exception of killed cells of Bordetella pertussis--only detectable to a weak degree.

Adjuvants, Immunologic

[Influence of latent vitamin A deficiency of the mouse on the production of humoral antibodies against sheep erythrocytes and on the resistance against infection with Listeria monocytogenes (author's transl)].

Mice fed with a vitamin A free diet for several months did not develop signs of vitamin A deficiency. However, chemical analysis revealed a reduced content of vitamin A in the liver of such mice. The ability of these animals were latent vitamin A deficiency to produce antibodies against parenterally applicated sheep erythrocytes was not hampered. Similar numbers of antibody producing cells could be detected in the spleen of these mice compared with control animals. Resistance against intravenous infection with L. monocytogenes of these mice with latent vitamin A deficiency was not altered. The numbers of viable germs recovered from spleen and liver 2 days after infection were similar in both vitamin A deprived and normal mice.

Animals

Morphology and time course of experimental listeriosis in nude mice.

Experimental listeriosis in phenotypically normal (nu/+) euthymic NMRI mice has a characteristic morphology and short-term course. In contrast, listeric infection in congenitally dysthymic nude (nu/nu) mice does not proceed in clear-cut phases, develops more slowly, displays a chronic tendency from the beginning, and shows a considerably different morphology. The inability of nude mice to effectively control and terminate infection by Listeria monocytogenes obviously results from the lack of T lymphocytes.

Animals

Effectiveness of orally administered Bordetella pertussis vaccine in mice.

Oral administration of killed Bordetella pertussis organisms to mice results in increased resistance to an intracerebral infection with virulent B. pertussis cells. The rate of survival is dependent on the dose of antigen. But besides specific systemic immunity, which is persistent over a long period, also transient non-specific resistance is increased. These effects are evidently induced without penetration of bacterial substances into the circulation.

Administration, Oral

[Studies on the mechanism and duration of antibody-mediated immunosuppression (author's transl)].

The simultaneous injection of either 10(8) or 5 X 10(5) sheep erythrocytes (SE) and an allogeneic anti-SE serum into mice produced not only a suppression of the primary immune response, but, moreover, the secondary immune reaction elicited, either 4, 8, 12, 16 or 30 weeks after the primary antigenic stimulation, was found to be impaired. This was mainly demonstrated by the significantly reduced numbers of 7 S antibody-synthesizing spleen cells. The suppression of the secondary immune responses is hardly compatible with the conception that the antibody-mediated immunosuppression is solely due to an inactivation of the antigenic determinants by the passively administered specific antibody in the periphery of the immune system. This objection against the so-called "peripheric theory" is supported by a further finding. When mice primarily immunized by a simultaneous injection of 10(8) SE and anti-SE-serum were treated with 2 X 10(7) SE 24 hours before boostering with 10(8) SE, in order to eliminate a possibly existing residual activity of the passively administered specific antibodies given together with the primary antigenic stimulus, the secondary 7 S response was likewise found to be significantly suppressed. On the basis of these findings it is suggested that besides the "peripheric mechanism" a "central" effect plays a significant role in the phenomenon of antibody-mediated immunosuppression, this being due to the reversible or irreversible inactivation of immunocompetent precursor cells by the attachment of antigen-antibody-complexes which results in an inhibition of their differentiation into antibody-producing cells.

Animals

Listeria monocytogenes infection in nude mice.

As compared to phenotypically normal (nu/+)NMRI mice showing the typical course of an experimental listeric infection, that of congenitally hypothymic (nude, nu/nu)NMRI mice was found to be characterized from the outset bya chronic trend. During the early phase of the infection, significantly reduced numbers of Listeria monocytogenes were observed in the spleens of nude mice.

Animals

Studies on the immunizing capacity of orally administered particulate antigens. II. Production of immunological memory in germ-free mice by orally administered sheep erythrocytes.

A study was perfromed to find out, whether or not the oral administration of sheep erythrocytes results in a general primary immune reaction as well as in effective priming for the secondary response in both conventional and germ-free NMRI mice. Whereas negative results were obtained with conventionally held mice, five oral applications of 0.3 ml of a 60% suspension of sheep erythrocytes to germ-free mice, each dose separated by an interval of 24 hr, resulted in a general primary immune response both at the cellular and humoral levels. When such pretreated mice were given an i.p. injection of 4 times 10(8) sheep erythrocytes as a secondary antigenic stimulus 32 days after the last of the five oral applications, the subsequent response was characterized by the predominant development of 7S hemolysin-producing spleen cells. This evidently indicates that effective priming for the secondary response has taken place by the orally administered antigen.

Administration, Oral

[Tetanus immunity during senescence (author's transl)].

The circulating concentrations of antibodies directed against tetanus toxoid were determined by means of the mouse protection test in the serum samples of 2554 patients with an age between 60 and 98 years. Additionally, a part of the sera was tested by a radioimmunologic procedure. Immunity (neutralizing antitoxin titer greater than or equal to 0.01 International Units/ml serum) was only demonstrable in a small percent of the samples (15.3%). Compared to women, a larger percentage of men were found to be protected. Active immunization of aged persons (60-93 years old) resulted in the finding that usually also during senescence powerful immunity may develop following suitable vaccination.

Aged