Abstract

The immunopotentiating properties of BCG vaccine strain antigen conjugated with betulin derivatives have been evaluated. The experiments were carried out on agouti guinea pigs (n = 20). The animals of the experimental groups (n = 5) were immunized with the following antituberculosis drugs: group 1, with antigens of the BCG vaccine strain conjugated with betulinic acid; group 2, with BCG antigens conjugated with betulonic acid; and group 3, with the BCG vaccine. The animals of the control group (n = 5) were injected with a saline solution. All the animals were infected with a virulent culture of Mycobacterium bovis (strain 8) on day 30 after the administration of antituberculosis drugs. The blood sampling for the assessment of the immune status was conducted on day 30 after the administration of drugs and day 30 after the infection with M. bovis. The designed conjugates were found to display immunopotentiating activity characterized by a 1.7–3.8-fold increase in the number of immunocompetent cells and an increase in the neutrophil functional activity observed to a greater degree in the guinea pig group 2. After infection with M. bovis some key parameters of the immune system, such as a T-lymphocyte count and the activity of enzymatic (myeloperoxidase) and nonenzymatic (cationic proteins) bactericidal systems of neutrophilic granulocytes significantly increased in groups 2 and 3, which implied the highest antituberculosis activity of the agents administered to these animals. The guinea pigs were euthanized 45 days after the infection with M. bovis. The next pathoanatomical experiments proved that the vaccine strain conjugates with betulonic acid and the BCG vaccine induced marked resistance against the pathogenic mycobacteria. The protection indexes for these agents were approximately the same and achieved 66 and 71%, respectively.

中文翻译：

---

实验性 BCG 抗原-桦木脑衍生偶联物对豚鼠免疫反应的影响

摘要

已经评估了与桦木脑衍生物缀合的 BCG 疫苗株抗原的免疫增强特性。实验是在刺豚鼠 ( n = 20) 上进行的。实验组的动物（n =5）用下列抗结核药物免疫：第1组，用与桦木酸偶联的BCG疫苗株的抗原；第 2 组，BCG 抗原与桦木酸偶联；和第 3 组，使用 BCG 疫苗。对照组（n = 5）的动物注射生理盐水。所有动物都感染了牛分枝杆菌的毒性培养物(菌株8)在施用抗结核药物后第30天。用于评估免疫状态的血液采样在给药后第 30 天和牛分枝杆菌感染后第 30 天进行。发现设计的偶联物显示出免疫增强活性，其特征是免疫活性细胞数量增加了 1.7-3.8 倍，并且在豚鼠组 2 中观察到的中性粒细胞功能活性增加程度更高。 感染牛分枝杆菌后免疫系统的一些关键参数，如 T 淋巴细胞计数和中性粒细胞的酶（髓过氧化物酶）和非酶（阳离子蛋白）杀菌系统的活性在第 2 组和第 3 组中显着增加，这表明该组的抗结核活性最高给予这些动物的药剂。豚鼠在感染牛分枝杆菌后 45 天被安乐死。接下来的病理解剖实验证明，与桦木酸和卡介苗疫苗结合的疫苗株诱导了对致病性分枝杆菌的显着抗性。这些药剂的保护指数大致相同，分别达到 66% 和 71%。