Macrophages are not only efficient phagocytic cells, but are also active secretory cells which are able to synthesize and release a wide variety of products which play a role in host defence. It has been shown that human and animal peritoneal macrophages stimulated either in vitro or in vivo release certain soluble products in their environment such as bacteriolytic enzymes, complement components and many pharmacological mediators including interferon.
Recently, we demonstrated that mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated in vivo with bacterial adjuvants of BOG, Propionibacteriurn acnes and/or Candida albicans inhibit strongly the extracellular growth of C. albicans, whereas unstimulated normal ones do not. This Study indicated that macrophages stimulated with some bacterial adjuvants release certain "fungiostatic substances." It was also suggested that the presence of the fungiostatic substances released by "activated" macrophages in the circulatory system may play a role in host defence against systemic infections with C. albicans. However, the level of macrophage products in the serum and their origin have not been clarified. In this study, a correlation between the levels of macrophage products in the serum and peritoneal fluids of mice immunized with a bacterial adjuvants was investigated. Experimentally, it is impracticable to measure at once all products released by activated macrophges. Therefore, an attempt was made, in this study, to measure macrophage cytoplasmic antigens of activated macrophage in the peritoneal fluid and the serum by means of single radial immunodiffusion and Ouchterlony double diffusion test using rabbit artiserum against whole cytoplasmic antigens of mouse peritoneal macrophage. The results are summerized as follows:
The level of macrophage cytoplasmic antigen in the peritoneal fluids were higher than these in the sera of nonmal mice. In the mice immunized ´ ith bacterial adjuvant, the level of macrophage cytoplasmic antigen in the peritoneal fluids and the sera increased 5 times in 3 hours of post-immunization over the level in normal mice. Although, there were no significantEdifferences between the total volumes of macrophage cytoplasmic antigen in peritoneal fluids and in the serum during the period from 6 to 24 hours post-immunization an increment of macrophage cytoplasmic antigens in the serum in 3 dayspant-ienniaizatioa was t;vice that of psritiieal fluids. Thereafter, the macrophage antigen in the serum gradually increased, whereas that, in the peritoneal fluids inversely decreased up to the Ievel of normal mice. Peak levels of macrophage antigens in peritoneal fluids and the serum were attained 6 hours and 3 to 5 days post-immunization, respectively, The measurements of soluble precipitating antigen titers of macrophage fraction by means of Ouchterlony double-diffusion showed that no app. arent difference in the titers between the peritoneal fluids and the sera obtained - during the period from 3 to 48 hours post-immanization, but the titers in the serum by 5 days post-immunization was significantly high.
The fungiostatic activities of the peritoneal fluids and the sera obtained from mice immunized with a bacterial adjuvant was markedly enhanced compared with those of normal mice. However, the fungiostatic activity of sera obtained from mice given the highest macrophage antigen titer was lower than that of peritoneal fluids, and identity between macrophage products in the peritoneal fluids and the serum was not revealed by Ouchterlony test.
This study indicated that the appearance of fungiostatic substances in the serum is highly associated with activation of macrophages in the peritoneal cavity, but the macrophage antigens in the serum and peritoneal fluids are not identical in both their antigenicity and fungiostatic activity.
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