Stimulation of macrophage oxygen free radical production and lymphocyte blastogenic response by immunization with porins.

Porins were prepared from smooth strain of Salmonella typhi 0-901 and chemotype rough mutant of S. typhimurium Ra-30. Porins could significantly stimulate the immune systems of mice. Immunization of mice with the porins provoked synthesis of anti-porin antibodies. Macrophages from the immunized mice showed increased capacity to generate oxygen free radicals, and lymphocytes from these mice showed proliferative response to the porins. Thus porins may play a role in providing protection from salmonellosis by stimulating the antibody production and increasing the capacity of macrophages to generate oxygen free radicals along with stimulation of lymphocytes.