Modification of reticuloendothelial function by muramyl dipeptide-encapsulated liposomes in jaundiced rats treated with biliary decompression.
Rats with 2 weeks of biliary obstruction, with and without 1 week of concomitant biliary decompression relieving the jaundice, were treated with physiologic saline, free muramyl dipeptide (MDP), placebo liposomes, or liposome-encapsulated MDP. Reticuloendothelial system (RES) function was evaluated by blood clearance of intravenously injected 125I-labelled Escherichia coli. The corrected phagocytic index (alpha) after 1 week of biliary decompression returned to normal levels in animals treated with MDP liposomes, whereas RES function was impaired (P < 0.05) in all other jaundiced and biliary-decompressed groups. In the biliary-decompressed, MDP-liposome-treated group, hepatic uptake of radiolabelled bacteria was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and renal entrapment of bacteria was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in all other jaundiced and biliary-decompressed groups. We conclude that treatment with MDP liposomes improves the otherwise impaired RES function in rats with biliary obstruction and biliary decompression.
Ding
J W
JW
Dept of Surgery, Lund University, Sweden.
Andersson
R
R
Hultberg
B
B
Soltesz
V
V
Bengmark
S
S
D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002768:Choledochostomy; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004926:Escherichia coli; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008081:Liposomes; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004337:Drug Carriers; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008081:Liposomes; D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine