Influence of Corynebacterium parvum, BCG, OK-432 and Lactobacillus casei on the Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Systems and on the Oxygen Radical Production by Fixed Macrophages in Liver of BALB/c Mouse

Abstract

The influence and mechanisms of 4 immunostimulants (Mycobacterium bovis (BCG), Streptococcus preparation (OK-432), Corynebacterium parvum, Lactobacillus casei YIT 9018 (LC 9018) and Lactobacillus fermentum YIT 0159 (LF), which had no immunostimulating activity) on the activities of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and on the oxygen radical production by fixed macrophages in the liver of the BALB/c mouse were studied. The levels of cytochrome P-450 and the activities of aminopyrine demethylase (APD) and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase significantly decreased after the i.v. injection of BCG, LC 9018, OK-432, C. parvum and LF compared to the saline-injected control mice, but the level of cytochrome b5 was not altered with these treatments. G6PD activity in the liver more remarkably increased with these immunostimulants than the saline i.v. injected mice, and oxygen radical production by fixed macrophages in the liver significantly increased after i.v. injection of LC9018 and C. parvum. The ability to reduce the enzyme activities of APD and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and the levels of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 of the liver apparently has no correlation with tumoricidal and bactericidal activity of these bacterial immunostimulants.