〓

The present study was carried out to examine the effects of Maharishi Amrit Kalash 4 (MAK-4) and 5 (MAK-5) on non-specific immunological mechanisms in mice. Mice aged 4 weeks were divided into 3 groups : a no treatment group (control), MAK-4 treated group (MAK-4 group) and MAK-5 treated group (MAK-5 group). The MAK-4 and MAK-5 were given p.o. at a dose of 50 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks. The following results were obtained : 1. MAK-4 and MAK-5 did not affect the body weight gain and food consumption of the mice. 2. The acid phosphatase (APH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities of peritoneal macrophages (Mφ) in the MAK-4 and MAK-5 groups increased significantly compared to the control group. 3. Concanavalin A (Con A) induced cell proliferation in the spleen was high in the MAK-4 and MAK-5 groups. These results suggested that MAK-4 and MAK-5 has a stimulatory effect on Mφ because of the increases in the APH and LDH activities in the peritoneal Mφ of mice. MAK-4 and MAK-5 also intensified the T-cell function represented by Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation

No relationship of salivary flow rate or secretory immunoglobulin A to dental caries in children

To investigate the relationship between dental caries and the salivary flow rate, secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) or other components in children, nonstimulated whole saliva was collected and teeth status was examined in 138 boys and 134 girls aged 11–12 years. The subjects were apparently healthy. The mean salivary flow rate was faster in boys than in girls (0.29 vs 0.18 ml/min, p < 0.001). In both sexes, secretion of salivary sIgA and three other components (total protein, calcium and amylase activity) was markedly dependent on salivary flow rates. These results suggest that basal components of resting saliva are secondarily secreted with the flow of saliva fluid. The mean erupted permanent teeth was 21.0 teeth (range: 10-28 teeth) in boys, and 23.0 teeth (13–28 teeth) in girls (sex-difference: p < 0.001). The means of DMFT, the DMFT ratio (% of DMFT to erupted permanent teeth) and DT+dt (sum of decayed permanent and milk teeth, an index for active caries) were 3.4 DMFT (range: 0–11 DMFT), 16.0% (0–40.0%) and 0.5 DT+dt (0–7 DT + dt) in boys, and 3.8 DMFT (0–12 DMFT), 16.2% (0–44.4%) and 0.8 DT+dt (0–5 DT+dt) in girls, respectively (sex-differences: p>0.05 in all). The salivary flow rate or the four salivary components (either concentration or secretion rate) used here had no relationship to the DMFT ratio or to DT+dt in either sex. Variation in the flow rate or in the basal components of resting saliva may not influence caries development in healthy children