ウサギ口蓋へん桃を介した唾液中常在菌に対する自然抗体の誘導

Abstract

We isolated the predominant indigenous bacteria from the saliva of non-immune rabbits. The presence of naturally occurring antibodies to the isolated bacteria and the induction of these antibodies were then studied. The bacteria in the saliva was identified as Staphylococcus lentus using a commercial identification kit, and found to have 1.5 (±2.2) × 106 cells/ml and to account for 16.1 (±5.6)% of the bacteria grown under aerobic condition. The concentration of anti-S. lentus antibodies in the saliva of non-immune rabbits was higher than that of the other kinds of staphylococci in ELISA. In non-immune rabbits, the anti-S. lentus IgA antibodies in the saliva was higher than that in the nasal wash and the intestinal fluid, while the anti-S. lentus IgA antibodies in the saliva, the nasal wash and the intestinal fluid were similar in level. When the suspension of fluorescence-labeled isolated Sta. lentus cells in saliva was applied to palatine tonsil of rabbits, many spots of the fluorescence were found in the cortex of the tonsil. Weekly tonsillar application of 1010 isolated Sta. lentus cells in one ml PBS caused an increase in the concentration of anti-S. lentus IgA antibodies in saliva the and the IgG antibodies and IgM antibodies in the blood plasma. Even one week following the first application of isolated Sta. lentus, the antibodies in the saliva were found to have increased. The anti-S. lentus antibodies was induced by the application of 108 cells or 106 cells. The antibody level after six weeks of these applications was similar in level to that applied 1010 cells. The above results show that naturally occurring antibodies to the predominant indigenous oral bacteria were induced in the saliva of rabbits through the stimulation of the palatine tonsil.