The injection of galactan extracted from Mycoplasma mycoides into cattle subsequently infected with M. mycoides induced lesions in joints and kidneys and a prolonged mycoplasmaemia. Several treated animals developed pleurisy, but the only lung lesions were small and were present in both galactantreated and control animals. These effects occurred with galactan prepared from both virulent and avirulent strains and were evident at a dose rate of 0.66 mg per kg but not at 0.22 mg per kg. The supernatant fraction galactan F and the cell fraction L, which might be the same as the supernatant fraction, were equally active. The other cell fraction W did not induce lesions nor mycoplasmaemia.
The galactan had no effect on the rate of clearance of M. mycoides injected intravenously into cattle, nor did it reduce the resistance of vaccinated cattle.
Although the W fraction, when injected with Freund’s adjuvant into cattle, provoked CF antibody production, it did not induce resistance to airborne CBPP infection. It suppressed or delayed the complement-fixing antibody response to M. mycoides in those cattle that became infected after exposure to airborne infection.
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