Abstract
Factors involved in the inoculum of M. lepraemurium for the growth in NC-5 medium as well as in mice were studied and the results obtained are as follows:
1. Significant multiplications of M. lepraemurium obtained from infected subcutaneous tissue, liver, and spleen in NC-5 medium were observed. Therefore, it is obvious that the growth of bacilli in NC-5 medium is independent from the sourses of the materials used. The multiplication ability of the bacilli in NC-5 medium is kept for 2 months at-20°C (in a freezer).
2. No effects of treatments with 0.1% trypsin, 0.2% pronase, and 0.1% desoxycholate at 37° C for 60min on the potentiality of the growth in NC-5 medium were recognized. The treatment with petroleum ether somewhat destroyed the ability.
3. The growth rate of purified bacilli was superior than that of crude material.
4. The potentialities of the growth of M. lepraemurium in NC-5 medium as much as in mice were completely destroyed by the treatment with below pH 6 at 37°C for 60 min and by heating at 50°C for 30min. On the other hand, a complete destruction of the growth potentiality of bacilli in NC-5 medium was resulted by UV irradiation for 2.5min, whereas the leproma producing ability in mice was maintained even by irradiation for 60min.
