METABOLIC STUDIES ON MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM RABBITS OF VARYING GENETIC RESISTANCE TO TUBERCULOSIS .2. STUDIES ON CELLS FROM BCG-VACCINATED ANIMALS

Abstract

Intact mononuclear cells from peritoneal exudates of BCG-vaccinated, genetically resistant, and susceptible rabbits were tested for their ability to metabolize certain substrates at different intervals after vaccination. The utilization of the substrate by the cells fell into 3 categories one which retained normal or higher than normal activity throughout the experiment; another which showed a period of depression in activity to below normal and then later rose to normal or above; finally, one which dropped below normal limits and remained subnormal for the duration of the experiment Total cell protein and acid phos-phatase curves were similar after vaccination. The total cell response to mineral oil was higher in vaccinated than in normal rabbits, but the susceptible race responded with a total of many more cells than the resistant race, although the relative rise after vaccination was greater and more rapid at first in the resistant than in the susceptible animals. It is concluded that, whereas many of these alterations may not be specific for tuberculosis, they may be merely a reflection of the non-specific, i.e., nonantibody, nature of the immunity in tuberculosis.