Mycobacterial Diseases
Open Access

Abstract

Immunoprophylaxis in Guinea Pigs with Mycobacterium indicus pranii (Mw) in Combination with Standard Chemotherapy of M. tuberculosis Infection Improves Lung Pathology

Krishan Dutta Rawat, Mamta Chahar, Reddy PVJ, Nalini Srivastava, Gupta UD, Natrajan M, Katoch VM, Kiran Katoch and Chauhan DS

Tuberculosis continues to be a major global health problem. BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guerin) has been used as a vaccine to control tuberculosis, however, the protective value of the vaccine has been reported be highly variable across different populations. During the last three decades, several workers have investigated the potential of protective efficacy of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP or Mw) against mycobacterial infections (leprosy and tuberculosis) which has been used as an immunoprophylactic tool and also as an adjunct to chemotherapy. The present study, reports the beneficial effect of prior immunization with MIP in terms of improvement in histopathological findings and reduction of bacterial burden, as augmenter to the effects of chemotherapy in experimental tuberculosis.