ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1996, Supplement

Local Reactions after the Application of Several Adjuvants in the Chicken

Peter Schmidt¹, Michael Erhard², Rüdiger Wanke¹, Andrea Hofmann² and Wolfgang Schmahl¹

¹Institut für Tierpathologie; ²Institut für Physiologische Chemie und Tierernährung der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, D-München

SUMMARY

For an animal sparing adjuvant high immunostimulation potential combined with minimum tissue irritating qualities are to be demanded. In the present study local tissue reaction due to intramuscular injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), muramyl-dipeptide (MDP) and Pam₃Cys-Ser-(Lys)₄ (PCSL) into the pectoral muscle of hens was examined. After application of FCA in all cases there was a violent tissue reaction resulting in a pronounced granulomatous, in some cases absceding, inflammation. The use of MDP and of the synthetic lipopeptide PCSL provoked only a mild and transient tissue reaction. Therefore and because of its high immunostimulation potential, PCSL is a convenient alternative to FCA.

Keywords: chicken, adjuvants, lipopeptides, Freund's complete adjuvant, muramyl-dipeptide, myositis