Studies on the Serotherapy of Japanese B Encephalitis

Report IV: Fundamental Studies on the Mode of Application of the Therapeutic Sera

Abstract

To examine the therapeutic effect of the hyperimmune sera on the mice infected with Japanese B encephalitis virus as well as the mode of their application, the hyperimmune sera of mice and goats were given by the different routes and intervals.
The results were as follows:-
1) The hyperimmune sera have therapeutic and preventive virtues in proportion to their neutralizing antibody contents, and are more effective when administered convergently before or after the challenge of the virus.
2) Hyperimmune sera administered into peritoneal cavity of mice shortly after the intraperitoneal challenge lowers the fatality rate.
The sera administered intracerebraly even 24 or 48 hours after the challenge havecaused the marked fall of mortality. And also the serum administered after 72 hours was able to reduce the rate though a little.
3) When hyperimmune sera are inoculated intraperitoneally and intracerebraly at the same time or intracerebraly once and again, the mortality rate is higher on occasions than when only once inoculated intracerebraly.
4) When the virus is inoculated intracerebraly, the hyperimmune serum proved effective only when it was administered early enough into the brain.
5) The homologous hyperimmune sera involve less ill effects and are Xmore efficacious than the heterologous sera.
6) The average death-days of the mice challenged by the intracerebral route are lengthened in every case by serum injection, but the prolongation did not always follow intraperitoneally challenged.