[Wide range of the use of natural lipases and esterases to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis].
Lipases and/or esterases (hereinafter referred to as esterases) isolated from the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) were found to have a bacteriological action on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) H37Rv. Different types of raw esterase preparations (REP) were incubated with MBT at 37 degrees C for 18 hours, the incubate was seeded on the Finn-II solid medium or intraperitoneally injected into guinea pigs in a single dose of 100,000,000 bacteria. There was no growth of MBT in the medium within 8 weeks, some variants of REP causing a destruction of the medium for 3-7 days. This "toxic" effect on the lipid-containing Finn-II medium could be lowered by the simplest techniques for purifying esterases. In the experimental guinea pigs, a tuberculous process substantially regressed: autopsy of control animals at interval of 3-6 weeks after inoculation with native MBT showed the typical picture of progressive generalized tuberculosis; at the same time a visible pathology was not noted in the animals contaminated with MBT incubated with esterases. At week 7, control guinea pigs died; the onset of a tuberculous process was observed in experimental guinea pigs at week 8. An attempt to reveal the therapeutical effect of REP on guinea pigs with tuberculosis in a direct experiment failed. At the same time, there was a low toxicity of REP (in the used doses) for guinea pigs and B10.A(4R) mice. Based on their own findings and some data available in the literature, the authors have arrived at the following provisory conclusions: the studied REPs contain mammalian lysosomal lipase-type enzymes that determine the bacteriostatic and, perhaps, bacteriolytic effect of REP shown on MBT in vitro; there is evidence for promises of continued detailed studies of natural esterases for searching new antituberculous agents. A program of investigations of the studied and other natural esterases has been developed by taking into account the authors' developments and know-how. The study may be regarded as part of global unselected screening of biological and other materials for detecting new promising sources of drugs.
Annenkov
G A
GA
Klepikov
N N
NN
Martynova
L P
LP
Puzanov
V A
VA
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D051379:Mice; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins