Death in Mice induced by Staphylococcus aureus Protoplasm.

THE most rational approach to treatment of an infectious disease is elimination of the infecting organism. Attempts to do this with antibiotics have not always been successful. Therefore, a characterization of the biochemical changes caused by the organism may result in biochemical replacements which can improve treatment. Previous work has shown that a profound derangement of carbohydrate metabolism can be induced in mice by living staphylococci1,2. When mice are challenged by a variety of routes, death occurs after a fixed number of cells has accumulated (as determined by total body counts) no matter in which portion of the body they multiply3,6. Since the staphylococcal cell is complex it would be desirable to fractionate it and produce death with known components. The first step in this process is to disintegrate the cell without damage to the enclosed chemicals and enzymes. We believe we have achieved this as the protoplasm used in the investigations to be reported was still able to coagulate citrated rabbit plasma at 37° C. The following investigations give some indication of the effect of fractionated S. aureus on male Swiss mice.