[Immunological study on localized liver injection of immunopotentiator OK-432-- experimental studies in rats]

Using Charles RIver-SD 7-week-old rats, a study was carried out on the immunological effect of localized liver injections of OK-432 (Picibanil, Chugaipharma ceutical Co. Led., Tokyo, Japan). The subjects were categorized into groups injected with saline solution, PIC-0.5 KE/kg, PIC-1.0 KE/kg, and PIC-2.0 KE/kg. Measurements were undertaken prior to injection, on the first day and on the fifth day of injection through cardiac blood sampling to determine the absolute counts of T-cells, B-cells, helper T-cells and suppressor T-cells. On comparing these values in the saline group to the OK-432 groups prior to injection, no significant changes were observed on the first day. By the fifth day, however significant differences were evident between the changes which had occurred in the two groups. When changes in the saline group were studied prior to localized liver injection on the fifth day, there were no significant differences in the absolute counts of T-cells, B-cells, Th-cells and Ts-cells/lymphocytes. In the PIC-0.5 group the T-cells, B-cells, Th-cells and Ts-cells remained basically unchanged, but, a reduction in Ts-cells/lymphocytes (p less than 0.05) was observed. Although there were changes in the absolute counts of T-cells, B-cells and Th-cells in the PIC-1.0 group, reductions in the levels of Ts-cells (p less than 0.05) and Ts-cells lymphocytes (p less than 0.01) were observed. The PIC-2.0 group showed a decline in the Ts-cells (p less than 0.05) and Ts-cell/lymphocyte counts (p less than 0.01) with no changes in the T-cells, B-cells and Th-cells. As shown above, when the liver was injected with saline no immunological changes were recognized, while on the other hand, reductions in the Ts-cells and Ts/lymphocyte counts were ascertained when OK-432 was injected.