Immunomodulation with Synthetic Molecules: Mechanisms of Actions and Effects on Macrophages

摘要

Immunoenhancing drugs were studied both for their general effects on host immunity and their effects on immune interactions with microbial infections. These studies focused preferentially on defined single molecules with immunomodulating properties, both wholly synthetic molecules (muramayl dipeptide was the prototype) and those produced by recombinant DNA techniques (gamma interferon was the prototype). Fungi were the microbes of interest. The effects of immunomodulators on fungicidal activity of tissue microphages from different anatomic compartments (pulmonary, peritoneal) were compared. We demonstrated that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) can be activated in vivo for enhanced fungicidal activity as a byproduct of an immunological or an inflammatory reaction, and that this could be reproduced with lymphokines or other immunomodulators. The mechanism of PMN activation was defined with respect to the oxidative mechanisms involved.