PENICILLIN: ITS ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT IN WHOLE BLOOD AND SERUM FOR THE HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS 1

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The ac-tion of penicillin vs. Strep. hemolyticus and Staph. aureus in whole defibrinated blood and serum was studied. Addi-tion of penicillin to whole blood in vitro resulted in a marked increase in the antistreptococcal and antistaphylococ-cal activity. This was not dependent on phagocytosis, since a similar action was noted in serum. When penicillin was admd. to normal subjects by various routes, blood and serum exhibited a bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect against Staph. aureus and Strep. hemolyticus. In general the effect was more marked against the streptococcus, and that of whole blood was directly related to the concn. of penicillin in the serum. Max. bactericidal effects vs. the hemolytic streptococcus were produced by concs. of 0.019 to 0.156 Florey u./ml. of serum. Concs. of at least 0.156 Florey u. were required for max. bacteriostatic action vs. Staph. aureus. The antistaphylococcal and antistreptococcal effect produced by adding sulfathiazole or sulfadiazine to whole blood in vitro was less marked than when penicillin was added to a homologous sample of blood. Similar results were obtained when the antibacterial action of blood was tested after the adm. of sulfadiazine and penicillin to normal subjects.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: