title: Protection against experimental intraabdominal sepsis by two polysaccharide immunomodulators.
abstract: Two immunomodulating polysaccharides, poly-(1-6)-beta-glucotriosyl-(1-3)-beta-glucopyranose (PGG)-glucan and Bacteroides fragilis polysaccharide A (PS A), were evaluated for the prevention of mortality and abscess formation associated with experimental intraabdominal sepsis. Prophylactic treatment with a combination of these compounds significantly reduced mortality (8% vs. 44% in the saline-treated control group) and the incidence of abscesses (30% vs. 100% in the saline-treated control group) after challenge with rat cecal contents. These compounds were also effective when administered therapeutically after bacterial contamination of the peritoneal cavity. PS A treatment conferred long-term protection against abscess formation and resulted in significantly fewer total aerobes and anaerobes in the peritoneal fluid of animals challenged with cecal contents. These data demonstrate the usefulness of two immunomodulatory polysaccharides in preventing experimental intraabdominal sepsis in the absence of antimicrobial therapy and may represent a new adjunct to antibiotic regimens currently used to prevent clinical cases of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. atzianabos@channing.harvard.edu
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Tzianabos
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cisneros
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kasper
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005936:Glucans / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047071:beta-Glucans
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D005936:Glucans; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D047071:beta-Glucans; C069894:poly-1-6-glucopyranosyl-1-3-glucopyranose glucan