Abstract
Pretreatment with Curdlan, a water-insoluble (1-3) -β-D-glucan prepared from Alcaligenes f aecalis var. myxogenes, IFO 13140, via an intraperitoneal route, significantly protected mice from lethal infection by various microorganisms. Introduction of a carboxymethyl group to Curdlan significantly increased its water-solubility, but almost completely eliminated its activity. Curdlan induced polymorphonuclear cell accumulation in the peritoneal cavity and generation of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence by peritoneal exudate cells. The chemiluminescence generated by macrophages was only 7% of that of total peritoneal exudate cells. The data suggest that the water-insolubility is an additional important factor that might affect antimicrobial activity induction.
