Morphology and function of liver after intravenous and intraportal injections of the immunomodulating agent Propionibacterium granulosum

• Published in: Experimental pathology (1981) Vol. 26; no. 2; p. 85
• Main Authors: Gil, J, Wegiel, J, Dumanski, Z, Badowski, A, Pietraszek, A, Szmigielski, S, Jeljaszewicz, J, Pulverer, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 1984
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - metabolism; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases - metabolism; Liver - physiology; Liver - ultrastructure; Male; Mice; Mononuclear Phagocyte System - physiology; Phagocytosis; Pinocytosis; Propionibacterium - immunology; Rabbits; Rats; Serum Globulins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0232-1513
• DOI: 10.1016/S0232-1513(84)80074-2

An immunomodulator, cell walls from Propionibacterium granulosum strain KP-45 (PG), has been applied in rabbits to test its influence on morphology and function of liver cells. For investigation of distribution in internal organs, the PG preparation was 51Cr-labelled and injected i.v. into mice. Functional liver tests were performed in rabbits injected intravenously or intraportally with PG. Morphologic studies (light and electron microscopy) of liver sections were performed in mice and rats injected intravenously with PG, 1-60 d prior to liver examination. Intravenous or intraportal application of PG did not cause detectable clinical symptoms during the whole observation period (1-60 d). During the first 3-7 d, elevation of serum globulins and transaminases (SGOT, SGPT) were noted with reappearance of normal values after 14-20 d. 131I-labelled Bengal Rose injected into PG-treated rabbits was trapped mostly in the spleen, and to a smaller extent in liver, where radioactivity was significantly lower than in saline-injected control animals. 51Cr-labelled PG injected i.v. into mice were after 60-90 min localized preferentially in lungs and liver, where the radioactivity was much higher than in the spleen. Morphological studies revealed that 6 h following i.v. injection of PG, there appeared partial clearing of the hepatocyte cytoplasm and lowering of their basophilic content with enhancement of pinocytic activity of the hepatocytes. This was accompanied by enlargement of RES cells in liver with enhanced intracellular digestion, higher number of lysosomes and appearance of phagocytic vacuoles.