Viability of Mycobacterium leprae after multiplication in mice

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To measure the rate at which M. leprae were killed in the course of the mouse footpad infection after the maximum of multiplication was achieved, M. leprae were harvested shortly before and at intervals after multiplication had reached the level of 106 organisms per footpad, serially diluted and inoculated into the footpads of passage mice. Beginning 1 yr later, foot-by-foot harvests of M. leprae were performed from passage mice and the proportion of viable organisms in the passage inocula was calculated by a most probable-number calculation. The proportion of solidly staining M. leprae was measured in the passage inocula. The proportion of viable M. leprae in the passage inocula decreased with the time after multiplication to 106 organisms per footpad of donor mice; the half-time of loss of viable M. leprae was 25 days. The proportion of solidly staining organisms appeared to be directly related to the proportion of viable organisms, as measured by mouse passage, and inversely proportional to the time after multiplication to 106 organisms per footpad.