Nippon Saikingaku Zasshi

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Four species of bacteria, Corynebacterium anaerobium 578, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae G-4, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and Bordetella bronchiseptica A-2, were injected intraveneously into mice (5 weeks old, ICR-SPF). The clearance of carbon from the blood stream and the weights of the spleen and liver were determined as indicators of RES stimulation. Mouse footpad reaction was assessed as an indicator of delayed-type hypersensitivity to each species of bacteria. The immunostimulative activity of each species of bacteria against bovine serum albumin was monitored by passive hemagglutination assay and the macrophage migration-inhibition test in guinea pigs. Based on the results of the experiments described above, B. bronchiseptica was selected as an immunostimulator (Ims) for immunization trials of the hemoprotozoan parasite, Babesia gibsoni, with inactivated merozoites of B. gibsoni (BgK).
Twelve dogs, pointers about 6 months old, were divided into four groups of three dogs each. Group 1 dogs were initially injected with Ims, and later injected with BgK and Ims (BgK+Ims) after a 3-week interval. Group 2 and Group 3 dogs were injected twice, at a 3-week interval, with BgK+Ims and BgK, respectively, and Group 4 served as a control. As the results, the serum antibody titres of Group 1 and 2 were several times higher than that of Group 3, and the cell-mediated immunity to parasites was noticeably stimulated by immunization with BgK+Ims. The peak level of parasitemia following the challenge were over 10% for Group 4 and 4.5% for Group 3, while levels for Group 1 and 2 were 2.5% and less than 1%, respectively. No such major clinical signs of babesiosis as jaundice and anemia were observed in Group 1 or 2.

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The bacteria isolated from instep's skins of 17 volunteers by the swab sampling method were mostly gram-positive cocci, which were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis by the ID-kit SP-18 (Nissui Co., Ltd). After incubation of S. epidermidis on agar plates containing oleic acid and Tween 80 for 24h at 35 C, the smell noticed was similar to an offensive smell of human pes. However, under the same conditions, the smell of another staphylococcal species was different from that of S. epidermidis. Except for the staphylococcal species, the colonies isolated from the skins were mostly those of yeast (unidentified) and gave off no offensive smell. From these results, it was considered that the smell of human pes might be given off by S. epidermidis, and if this species is inhibited, the smell would also be inhibited. A selective bactericide for gram-positive bacteria, which is a lotion containing deoxycholic acid, was applied to the feet of the 17 volunteers. The experiments showed that the application obviously decreased the counts of colonies of S. epidermidis and inhibited the smell as compared with controls.

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