Effect of three strains of propionibacteria (P. granulosum, P. avidum, P. acnes) and cell-wall preparations on lymphocytes and macrophages.

The effect of the strains of Propionibacteria (P. granulosum, P. avidum, P. acnes) on functional and metabolic activities of mouse lymphocytes and rabbit macrophages was examined in vivo and in vitro. In some of the experiments bacterial cell walls isolated from the above bacteria were tested and compared with the activity of whole bacteria. In isolated lymph-node lymphocytes influx of 86Rb and its inhibition by ouabaine, release of 86Rb and 51Cr from prelabelled cells, as well as spontaneous and PHA-stimulated incorporation of 3H-uridine were tested after treatment with 10 or 50 microgram/ml of Propionibacteria (whole cells or cell walls). Phagocytosis of 32P-labelled Staphylococci and reduction of Nitro-BT were examined in isolated rabbit peritoneal macrophages treated with the above concentrations of Propionibacteria. Clearance of 32P-labelled Staphylococci from peripheral blood in rabbits treated with 5 mg per kg body weight of Propionibacteria was also studied. All three strains of Propionibacteriae stimulated 86Rb influx into lymphocytes, the effect being observed only in concentrations leading to parallel increase of 86Rb and 51Cr release from prelabelled cells. No significant differences in activity between the three tested strains of bacteriae were found. Propionibacteria of a dosage of 50 microgram/ml significantly increased spontaneous and PHA-stimulated incorporation of 3H-uridine into lymphocytes. All three strains of Propionibacteria markedly stimulated both phagocytosis and intracellular digestion (as measured by the ability to reduce Nitro-BT) in isolated peritoneal macrophages. This was accompanied by faster clearance of Staphylococci from peripheral blood of rabbits treated with 5 mg per kg body weight of Propionibacteriae. The obtained results showed direct stimulation of lymphocytic and macrophagic functional activity by whole cells and isolated cell walls of all three tested strains of Propionibacteria.