engleski

PGM-Zn as immunomodulator and antiproliferative agent

AIM: In several models it has been shown that peptidoglycan monomer (PGM), originally prepared by biosynthesis from culture fluids of penicillin-treated Brevibacterium divaricatum, has marked immunomodulating properties. However, even better immunostimulation in experimentally induced models of immunosuppression (halothane anaesthesia, obstructive jaundice) or naturally occurring immunodeficient states (aging) we obtained with new metal analogue of PGM, in which basic substance, PGM, was linked with Zn (PGM-Zn). Recently, we observed that its stimulatory effects on humoral immunity might be both-T-cell dependent and T-cells independent, suggesting that PGM-Zn may enhance the co-stimulatory signals coming from the activated T cells, but may act also on mature B cells as polyclonal activator, without the T-cell help. METHODS: To obtain more information about its immunomodulatory actions, in this study we tested the effects of macrophages and NK cells, obtained from mice pretreated with PGM-Zn, on Con-A blastogenesis of splenocytes in young and old mice, and on growth and phenotypic characteristics of T-cell line Yac-1. RESULTS: The data have shown that macrophages and NK cells, activated in vivo with PGM-Zn, have immunosuppressive and cytotoxic properties. The effects were, however, dependent also on the origin of macrophages and NK cells, since cytotoxic effects had intrahepatic, but not also the splenic mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS: The data emphasize that PGM-Zn, as a new molecule, which contains two constituents with known immunomodulating activities, has new, interesting, therapeutic properties.

peptidoglycan linked with zinc; cytotoxic T cells; NK1.1.T cells; spleen; liver; Yac-1.

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