[Functional macrophage activity in infection with virulent and avirulent strains of the dysentery microbe]

The effect of S. flexneri virulent and avirulent (vaccine) strains 2a on the cytoplasmic membrane of mouse macrophages has been studied by evaluating the action of these bacteria on the activity of 5-nucleotidase. The dynamics of the activity of 5-nucleotidase after the introduction of both virulent and avirulent strains has a phasic character with alternating rises and falls in the activity of this enzyme in comparison with the control. S. flexneri vaccine strain produces mainly a stimulating effect on the functional activity of peritoneal macrophages in mice, which is confirmed by a decrease in the activity of 5-nucleotidase; on the contrary, S. flexneri virulent strain- has mainly an inhibiting effect on the functional activity of peritoneal macrophages, which is confirmed by an increase in the activity of 5-nucleotidase in these cells. The comparative study of changes in the activity of 5-nucleotidase, following the introduction of S. flexneri, in mice, previously immunized with smallpox vaccine, and in intact mice has shown that the use of animals immunized with smallpox vaccine in the study of metabolic characteristics may lead to distortions in the results of the experiment.