Reactivity of the immunological system of rats stimulated with Biolex-Beta HP after cyclophosphamide immunosuppression

The objective of this study was to determine the stimulating effect of the Biolex-Beta HP (β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan) dietary supplement on selected parameters of specific and non-specific humoral and cellular immunity in rats immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide. The experimental material comprised 40 Wistar rats, divided into two equal groups: control and experimental. In the course of 3 successive days, the rats from the experimental group were administered cyclophosphamide intramuscularly at a rate of 50 mg/kg BW per day. On the 8(th) day of the experiment, 10 control and 10 experimental rats were sacrificed, and total protein and γ-globulin levels, lysozyme and ceruloplasmin activity were determined in the blood serum. The proliferative response of blood lymphocytes after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide or concanavalin A, respiratory burst activity and the potential killing activity of phagocytes were determined in whole heparinised blood. Starting on the 8(th) day of the experiment, the feed of the remaining rats from the experimental and control groups was supplemented for 14 consecutive days with Biolex-Beta HP at a rate of 50 mg/kg BW per day. On day 22, arterial blood samples were collected and immune parameters were determined. The results indicate that β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan has a positive effect on the analysed parameters of non-specific cellular and humoral immunity after cyclophosphamide-induced suppression. Nevertheless, the observed effect only marked a return to the norm, as most of the analysed parameters were merely restored to their initial levels, with the exception of lysozyme activity, which considerably exceeded the level noted before immunosuppression.