inosine-pranobex and azimexon

Immunostimulants are chemical substances capable of increasing the overall activity of a normal immune system as well as normalizing the function of an impaired immune system (immune restauration). This review is concerned with substances of microbial or chemical origin and excludes the so-called physiological inductors or regulators, e.g. thymic factors, interferon etc. During the last decade considerable progress has been achieved with respect to the isolation of effective compounds and the elucidation of their chemical structure. However, the knowledge of their mechanism of action and their effects in the living organism is still poor because of the complexity of the immune system, lack of appropriate standardization methods, lack of internationally agreed test conditions or diseases in intact animals or conditions for controlled clinical trials in man.

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; BCG Vaccine; Bordetella pertussis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cord Factors; Freund's Adjuvant; Glycolipids; Humans; Hypoxanthines; Immunochemistry; Inosine Pranobex; Leucine; Levamisole; Lipopolysaccharides; Mycobacterium bovis; Picibanil; Polynucleotides; Polysaccharides; Propionibacterium

Immunostimulants are chemical substances capable of increasing the overall activity of a normal immune system as well as normalizing the function of an impaired immune system (immune restauration). This review is concerned with substances of microbial or chemical origin and excludes the so-called physiological inductors or regulators, e.g. thymic factors, interferon etc. During the last decade considerable progress has been achieved with respect to the isolation of effective compounds and the elucidation of their chemical structure. However, the knowledge of their mechanism of action and their effects in the living organism is still poor because of the complexity of the immune system, lack of appropriate standardization methods, lack of internationally agreed test conditions or diseases in intact animals or conditions for controlled clinical trials in man.

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; BCG Vaccine; Bordetella pertussis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cord Factors; Freund's Adjuvant; Glycolipids; Humans; Hypoxanthines; Immunochemistry; Inosine Pranobex; Leucine; Levamisole; Lipopolysaccharides; Mycobacterium bovis; Picibanil; Polynucleotides; Polysaccharides; Propionibacterium

Immunotropic activity of natural and synthetic immunomodulators was evaluated by cytotoxic and rosette tests. In both experimental models the above groups of drugs were observed to exert similar effect. Thus, it may be assumed that synthetic immunomodulators and thymus hormones have much alike mechanisms of activity. The usefulness of both tests applied, however, differed; more sensitive appeared the model of the rosette test.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; Cell Survival; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Hydrocortisone; In Vitro Techniques; Inosine Pranobex; Mice; Rosette Formation; Thymus Extracts

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animal Diseases; Animals; Aziridines; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium; Cimetidine; Humans; Hypoxanthines; Imidazoles; Immunity; Inosine Pranobex; Levamisole; Poly I-C; Polylysine; Pyran Copolymer; Tuftsin

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; Benzimidazoles; Cimetidine; Ditiocarb; Humans; Hypoxanthines; Inosine Pranobex; Leucine; Levamisole; Mice; Neoplasms; Pyran Copolymer; Tuftsin

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; Ditiocarb; Glucans; Humans; Hypoxanthines; Immunity; Inosine Pranobex; Interferon Inducers; Leucine; Levamisole; Lynestrenol; Neoplasms

We have studied the effect of immunomodulating agents on polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotaxis and their relation to the modification of cyclic nucleotide levels. The tested drugs (levamisole, tuftsin, azimexon, muramyl dipeptide, isoprinosine) inhibited the chemotaxis of 'normal' cells but restored the impaired chemotactic responsiveness of inflammatory cells. None of these drugs had any significant effect on cyclic nucleotide levels in 'normal' cells. All the drugs, except isoprinosine, produced an increase in the cGMP levels in inflammatory cells. These results suggest that immunomodulators are able to modify PMN chemotaxis. This effect cannot, however, be related to modification of the cyclic nucleotide levels.

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Aziridines; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Immunity; Inosine Pranobex; Leukocytes; Levamisole; Rats; Tuftsin