Abstract

Mice infected with Escherichia coli were protected against lethal peritonitis by the intra peritoneal administration 0.2 ml of 10 mg of poly-1,3,1,6-glucotriosyl-1,3,1,3-glucopyranose (PGG) glucan per gram body weight of animal 24 h prior to bacterial infection. This procedure employed in this study, is similar to that employ in a previous studies where rat model were protected with β-glucan against intra-abdominal sepsis, where the intramuscular doses of 10 ml to 10 g per animal 24 h and 4 h prior to surgical implantation of the bacterial inoculums reduced the early mortality associated with the peritonitis phase of this experimental disease process.  In this study mice were protected with β-glucan against peritonist 24 h prior to intraperitoneal administration of bacteria inoculums. Quantitative cultures of the liver obtained from mice infected with E.coli showed significantly the liver of PGG glucan-treated infected animal has a reduced microbial load as compare to those infected and were not treated. The transient increase in survival rate of mice infected withE.coli that have been treated with PGG glucan- as compare with that of those not treated shows the significant effect of β glucan on E.coli infection.

Key words: Beta-glucan, Escherichia coli, poly-131-6-glucotriosyl-j31-3-glucopyranose (PGG) glucan, peritonitis, inoculums, intra-peritoneal, intramuscular.

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