[Prostaglandin levels in the lung tissue of guinea pigs with tuberculosis treated with antitubercular drugs and indomethacin].

An experiment was carried out on 135 guinea-pigs (21 were used as controls and the rest subcutaneously infected with virulent M. tuberculosis culture. The latter were divided into 4 groups depending on the treatment regimen. The experiment was conducted for 3 months. The content of prostaglandins (PG) E and F2 alpha in the lung tissue was measured by radio-immunoassay. It was found that a spontaneous development of tuberculosis in the guinea-pigs was accompanied by phasic changes of PG. The period of a relative resistance was followed by an initial short-term drop or PGF2 alpha and a subsequent decrease of PGE/PGF2 alpha. During a swift progression of inflammatory and necrotic changes there was a congruous growth of both types of PG, with PGF in abundance. In the preterminal period of the disease, an irrepressible PGE growth was observed. With chemotherapy, the PG content in the lung tissue was normalized not later than in a month. Indomethacin++ used at the beginning of infection before chemotherapy has a persisting aftereffect as a consecutive drop of PGE and PGE/PGF2 alpha at first and PGF2 alpha later on. The administration of indometacin concurrently with chemotherapeutic drugs produced a similar, but less marked effect. The prescription of indometacin both at early stages and simultaneously with chemotherapy could improve a morphologic outcome of the disease, stimulating proliferative reactions of the lymphoid system, as well as resolution and repair processes.