A Paracoccidioides brasiliensis polysaccharide having granuloma-inducing, toxic and macrophage-stimulating activity.
The occurrence of a polysaccharide fraction of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis cell wall with toxic, granuloma-inducing and macrophage-stimulating activities was demonstrated. After fractionation of the lipid-extracted wall with 1 M-NaOH, three fractions were obtained: (1) an alkali-insoluble fraction; (2) an alkali-soluble, acid-insoluble fraction and (3) an alkali-soluble, acid-soluble fraction. When the three fractions were injected into mice only fraction (1) was able to induce chronic lung inflammation, causing a marked loss in body weight and death at a dose of 6 mg per animal. Analysis of the stimulation of peritoneal macrophages of mice (measured by cell spreading on glass) after intraperitoneal injection of fraction 1 showed that 75% of the cells were able to spread even 20 d after inoculation.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis; D006099:Granuloma / Q000139:chemically induced; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000032:analysis*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000032:analysis*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology
D011134:Polysaccharides