Studies on the Intestinal Growth of the Orally Administered Cocci, Isolated from the Intestine of Mice.

Abstract

To study the meanings of the presence of cocci in the intestine, especially regarding to the growth of exogeneous bacteriae, the mice, orally administered with one of the three streptomycin resistant cocci, Staphylococcus albus, Streptcoccus haemolyticus and Enterococcus viridans, isolated from the intestine of mice, were sacrificed daily to investigate the time of multiplication and localisation of those administered cocci by the cultivation of their feces or intestinal contents, on BTB agar, 10% horse blood agar with and without streptomycin (1000 γ/ml).
1) In normal mice the administered cocci were proved in the feces during 1 day only in the case of Staphylococcus albus, during 3 days in the case of Staphylococcus haemolyticus and during 6 days in the case of Enterococcus viridans
2) In the mice, previously treated with Erythromycin, the duration of positive culture of each cocci from the specimen was prolonged, especially in the case of the mice administered with Enterococcus viridans.
3) The normal bacterial flora was not changed by the administration of these three species of cocci. When the mice, however, were treated previously with Erythromycin, the number of the normal cocci were markedly decreased, and sometimes disappeared. The number of the gram-negative bacilli were rather stable but some-times slightly increased. They changed in proportion to the dosage of Erythromycin administered. When the administration of Erythromycin was stopped, the bacterial fl ora recovered gradually as in the normal condition before its administration.
4) The growth of the orally administered Enterococcus viridans was performed in the lower intestine or in the upper colon of mice.
These knowledges will offer a clue to make an analysis of the mechanism of the multiplication of exogeneous bacteria in intestine.