In the previous report, the virulence of 43 strains of tubercle bacilli to mice was presented.
The authors concluded that the virulence of tubercle bacilli newly isolated from the Japanesepatients was not of the same degree with each other, but was varied from high to relativelylow degree. Employing the same strains as used in the previously reported mice experimentsexcluding six out of eight Indian strains, the virulence to guinea pigs was examined. Thesuspensions of bacilli used in the experiments of guinea pigs were the same as used in theexperiments of mice.Three or six adult male guinea pigs were infected subcutaneously with 0.1mg of eachstrain. All the animals were sacrificed eight weeks after infection. The tuberculous changesof visceral organs and lymph glands were observed macroscopically.
The standard of the macroscopic tuberculous indices of guinea pigs used in this reportwas as follows: For the changes of lungs and spleens, no lesions…0, 1 to 9 tuberclescl, 10to 19 tuberclesc2, 20 to 29 tuberclesc3, more than 30 tuberclesc4, innumerable tuberclesc5.
If large conlfuent tubercles existed, or many necrosis were found, 0.5 or 1 was added to theprevious indices. For the liver, no lesionc0, few tuberclesc1, some tuberclesc2, many tuberdesc3, , innumerable tuberclesc4, innumerable tubercles with necrosisc5. For the lymphglands, tuberclous swelling of the gland 2 to 5mm in diameterc1, 5 to 10mm in diameter2, 10 to 20mm in diameterc3, more than 20mm in diameterc4.
Another three guinea pigs were infected intraperitoneally with 0.1mg of bacilli, and thedeath rate up to eight weeks after infection was observed. (Thirteen out of 43 strains were, omitted from the experiment of intraperitoneal infection.) The results were summarized as follows:
(1) The average macroscopic tuberculous indices of guinea pigs infected subcutaneously with 0.1 mg of bacilli were varied from 26.8 to 5.2. The average indices of visceral organsexcluding lymph glands varried from 10.9 in the strain of the maximum virulence to 0.9 inthe strain of the minimum virulence (Table and Fig. 1).
(2) The average weight of the spleens also showed the differences of virulence accordingto the strain from one strain to another. The maximum average weight was 8.9g and theminimum was 0.8g (Table 1).
(3) The root indices of virulence after Mitchison were calculated. In our experiments, infection was performed subcutaneously, infectious dosis being 0.1mg, and and all the guineapigs were sacrificed eight weeks after infection. Therefore, the methods of experiments werenot identical with that of Mitchison, et al.Thirty four strains out of 43 Japanese strains were more than 0.8 in indices. The indicesof 4 strains were 0.8 to 0.6. The indices of five strains were less than 0.6., of whichtwo wereresistant to INH (Tables 1 and 2).
(4) Death rate of guinea pigs infected intraperitoneally with 0.1mg of bacilli variedfrom 100% to 0% (Table 1). But, the death rate did not correlate with the macroscopic tuberculous indices.
(5) INH-resistant strains were less virulent to guinea pigs.
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