Extracellular enzymes of pulmonary fluid and their bactericidal effects on Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The enzyme activity and bacillary content of cell free pulmonary lavage fluid has been compared in infected and immunized infected animals. Increased enzyme production was found as a result of macrophage activation. Marked decrease in the number of tubercle bacilli was observed in immunized infected animals. The active enzyme production is considered to be the impact of availability of enzyme specific substrate, particularly cell wall components of tubercle bacilli viz. arabinogalactan, arabinomannan and sulphatides. These macromolecules are considered as active substrates for the action of arabinosidase (EC:3.2.1.55), mannosidase (EC:3.2.1.24) and sulphatase-C (EC:3.1.6.1).