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Protective effects of serum thymic factor to Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni infection in Mongolian
M Yukawa1, K Mochizuki, T Kosaka
1Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Abstract:
The susceptibility to Leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni in Mongolian gerbils treated with 10 micrograms of serum thymic factor (FTS) 1 day before infection was examined. Susceptibility of gerbils treated 5 times with 10 micrograms of FTS was also investigated. Mortality of FTS-treated gerbils was significantly lower than that of controls when small challenge doses were used. To analyse the FTS-induced resistance to leptospiral infection, natural killer (NK) cell activity and macrophage activity were studied. Macrophage activity was unaltered but NK cell activity was enhanced in FTS-treated gerbils, with or without leptospiral infection. Since no side-effects of FTS were observed, this compound should be considered for the treatment of leptospirosis.