| STUDIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GAMMA-IRRADIATED VACCINE AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS
( 1) Oxidative metabolism of Gamma-irradiated M. Tuberculosis H37Rv |
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Tai Hew Ahn |
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Department of Bacteriology, Chonnam National University Medicine, Kwangju, Korea |
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| Abstract |
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In our country, B.C.G. has been used as one of the most effective vaccines against tuberculosis. Non-living vaccines against tuberculosis have, however, been extensively studied by many workers so that the living vaccine, B.C.G. may be replaced with them, for various side reactions, decrement of titer and inconveniences of handling B.C.G. are serious problems yet to be solved. Gamma irradiated tubercle vaccine, at this point, is the one we long hoped for, because it is non-living and as effective as B.C.G. in protecting experimental animals against tuberculosis. In the present experiment, the characteristics of gamma-irradiated tubercle bacillus, the oxidative metabolism, were investigated through manometric studies and the following results were obtained. 1. Lethal dosage of gamma rays for lyophilized tubercle bacillus was 1.5×106r which was double of the one required for the bacillus of liquid suspension. Yet, the oxygen uptake rate of lyophilized cell was as much as 2.5 time the one of suspension cell. 2. Pretreatment of tubercle bacillus with lactic acid or pyruvic acid brought about greater protection of respiratory enzymes from the gamma irradiation damage than non-treated one, though no difference in lethal dosages of gamma rays was observed between them. |
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