Stimulation of Body Defence against Staphylococcus aureus by Norinyl

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Abstract
Summary.: The spleens, kidneys and livers of mice that had received intraperitoneal doses of norethindrone and/or mestranol before intravenous injection with virulent Staphylococcus aureus contained fewer viable staphylococci than did the corresponding organs of control mice. Also, fewer hormone treated mice than control animals died during the 4 days after infection. Both groups survived better when penicillin was administered 12 h after infection. Thirteen serotypes of Staph. aureus grew better in sera of control rabbits than in sera of rabbits treated with both hormones. Rabbits treated with either hormone alone yielded sera that suppressed growth of most, but not all, serotypes. Coagulase, phosphatase, gelatinase, anaerobic and aerobic acid production were not affected by prior growth of staphylococci in the presence of hormones, but the haemolysin titres of staphylococci grown with the hormones were lower than those grown without them.