Effect of local and parenteral immunization on implantation of Actinomyces viscosus T6 in rats.

Groups of rats immunized in the vicinity of the major salivary glands or immunized intraperitoneally with Actinomyces viscosus T6 and their sham-immunized controls were infected with the homologous bacterium. Significantly higher levels of salivary and serum antibody were induced by intraperitoneal than by salivary gland immunization. There were also significant inverse correlations between the levels of salivary and serum antibody and the levels of implantation of A. viscosus T6. The level of implantation of A. viscosus T6 was significantly lower in the immunized animals than in the controls. However, antibody had limited capacity to inhibit the establishment of this bacterium.