The production of purpura by derivatives of pneumococcus. II. The effect of pneumococcus extract on the blood platelets and corpuscles.

Open Access
  • 1 January 1926
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (1) , 97-106
Abstract
The injection of pneumococcus extract into white mice caused a great diminution in the number of blood platelets with the greatest decrease after 24 hours. Purpuric lesions usually developed when the number of blood platelets fell below 500,000 per cu. mm. Regeneration of the platelets was accomplished by the 4th-9th day but there was an over-regeneration and the return to normal did not take place until 2 weeks had elapsed. The erythrocytes were also greatly reduced in number but the rate of destruction and subsequent regeneration was somewhat slower than that of platelets. The leucocytes were slightly, if at all, influenced by the pneumococcus extract. Pneumococcus extracts were shown to be thrombolytic and haemolytic. Heat destroyed the activity of both lysins in vitro. Heated extract produced purpura in mice but did not cause severe anaemia. Extracts adsorbed with either blood platelets or erythrocytes showed a marked diminution in their thrombolytic and hemolytic activity in vitro. Such extracts, however, produced purpura as well as severe anaemia and thrombo-penia in mice.

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