Abstract:
The present research was designed to investigate the production of nitric oxide by
monocytes in cell culture induced by different fractionated soluble antigen of Brucella
melitensis 16M. For this purpose soluble antigen of B. melitensis was prepared by
treating the culture with ultrasonic waves in an ultrasonicator. This antigen was then
subjected to gel filtration chromatography to fractionate the antigen according to its
approximate molecular weight. Nitrite and other reactive intermediates have been
postulated to participate in arginine dependent tumor cytotoxicity by activated
macrophages, supernatant were collected after 48 hr. of culture assayed for the
presence of these molecules in a standard Griess reaction. This investigation revealed
that fractionated antigen SAG3 produced maximum nitrite followed by SAG1, SAG2,
SAG5, SAG4 and SAG6 respectively. Therefore, it was observed that NO play an
important role in killing of B. melitensis and it had been concluded that much of the
antimicrobial activity of macrophages against B. melitensis is due to nitric oxide and
substances derived from it.
