Mycobacterium butyricum

Molnar, Beladii, and Foldes [69] studied antimycobacterial activity of five phenothiazine derivatives including chlorpromazine, levomeprazine, promazine, promethazine, and diethazine. The growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, and Mycobacterium butyricum was found to be inhibited by chlorpromazine at practically identical concentrations. The minimum inhibitory concentrations for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were chlorpromazine and levomeprazine 10 xg/ml diethazine and promethazine 20 xg/ml whilst chlorpromazine sulphoxide was ineffective even at 100 xg/ml. Chlorpromazine and promethazine exerted a measurable bactericidal activity on Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 50 xg/ml total destruction of the organism and loss of acid fastness in part of the cells were shown at 300 xg/ml. Preliminary studies in mouse experiments revealed that phenothiazine derivatives were ineffective. 

The most popular and successful adjuvants have been the water in oil emulsions developed by Freund. The basic ingredients of light mineral oil (Bayol) and emulsifying agents mixtures such as Arlacel (A or C) are available commercially. The reagents are emulsified with either solutions or suspensions of the immunogen (incomplete Freund s adjuvant). The addition of mycobacteria (Mycobacterium butyricum, M. tuberculosis) in small amounts to the suspension (complete Freund s adjuvant) leads to a further enhancement of the immune response. This has been attributed to the increased local inflammatory response caused by the mycobacteria. ... 

Arthritis was induced in rats by intrademial injection into the tail and right hind paw of suspension of S0>Ug of dry heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum in 1 ml of Bayol F. 

The search for new and effective treatment modalities requires the availability of adequate screening tests. Although no model adequately reflects the events that occur in human arthritic conditions, several in vivo and in vitro assays are used. The most common in vivo animal assays measure the ability of anti-inflammatory drugs to inhibit edema induced in the rat paw by carrageenan (a mucopolysaccharide derived from a sea moss of the Chondrus species), to inhibit adjuvant arthritis in rats induced by Mycobacterium butyricum or M. tuberculosis, to inhibit granuloma formation usually induced by the implantation of a cotton pellet beneath the abdominal skin of rats, or to inhibit erythema of guinea pig skin as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In vitro techniques include the ability of NSAIDs to stabilize erythrocyte membranes or, more commonly, to inhibit the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, particularly in cultured human synoviocytes and chondrocytes, and monocyte culture fluid stimulated bovine synoviocytes and chondrocytes. 

Active Anaphylaxis. Guinea-pigs were injected with an emulsion of ovalbumin in saline and Mycobacterium butyricum in oil in the hind-paws and skin, as described for the preparation of anti-ovalbumin serum (4). A dose of a compound or solvent was administered orally, 13 to 16 days after these injections. Two hours after the oral administration ovalbumin (0. 4 ml of a 0. 25 % solution in saline) was injected intravenously. Survival time was recorded up to 4 h after the challenge. 

ViLKAS, E., A. Rojas, and E. Lederer Sur un nouvel acide amine, la N-methyl O-methyl L-serine, isole des mycosides de Mycobacterium butyricum and M. avium. Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 261, 4258 (1965). 

Figure 9 (A) MR images from longitudinal assessment of degeneration of the posterior tibio-tarsal joint of a rat, rendered arthritic by intra-venous injection of a Mycobacterium butyricum suspension at Day 1 (200 MHz, TE/TR = 9/2500 ms, 100 x 100 pm in plane resolution, 1 mm trans-plane resolution). (B) 400 MHz images of excised tibio-tarsal joints from control and adjuvant-arthritic rats, acquired using autosampler technology (TE/TR = 8/1000 ms, 70 x 70 x 250 pm resolution). Reproduced by permission of Dr. Rasesh Kapadia, SB Pharmaceuticals, Upper Merion, PA.

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