Administration of acemannan

Abstract

Acemannan has now been discovered to be a potent inducer of Interleukin 1 (Il-1) and prostaglandin E.sub.2 (PGE.sub.2) production by human peripheral blood adherent cells in culture. Il-1 has been shown to be an important macrophage product and is associated with influencing the activity and production of T lymphocytes, fibroblasts, B lymphocytes and endothelial cells. Acemannan has no demonstrated toxicity, and acts as an adjuvant and immunoenhancer. Administration of an amount of acemannan sufficient to stimulate monocytes and macrophages not only produces Il-1 and PGE.sub.2 but also stimulates phagocytosis, increases antibody production, enhances antiviral activity in the serum and, in those patients with AIDS/ARC, produces defective HIV virus. Acemannan has been shown to affect the rate of virus production in viral vaccine master seed cultures by accelerating the rate of viral replication. In addition, acemannan is a potent adjuvant to viral vaccines in chickens. Acemannan has also shown specific antitumor activity against sarcoid tumors in horses.

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