[Aspects of the immunodepressive action of gentamycin and rifampicin]

The effects of rifampicin and gentamicin on the count of the antibody-forming cells (AFC), the titers of hemagglutinins, endogenous colony-formation and activity of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) were studied on uninbred albino mice. An attempt was made to correct the immunity defects induced by rifampicin. In addition to the inhibitory effect of the antibiotics on the primary immune response, i.e. the count of the AFC described earlier, suppression of hemagglutinin accumulation on the 4th day after immunization and inhibition of the absorption function of the RES after administration of rifampicin in a dose of 250 mg/kg were shown. Both the antibiotics induced stimulation of endogenic colony formation when administered for 10 days before the irradiation. It was only gentamicin that produced a stimulating effect after irradiation. The combined use of rifampicin with the immunostimulants prodigiozan, methyluracil or levamisole according to different schemes showed that the only effective combination was that of rifampicin with methyluracil (400 mg/kg) or levamisole (5 mg/kg).