Bactericidal Function of the Liver.

Abstract

During the course of our studies on the effects of intestinal stasis on blood destruction and regeneration, some experiments were undertaken to determine the rôle of the liver and bile in the elimination of bacteria in normal fasting dogs. Several investigators 1 have found organisms in the tissues of apparently normal animals. Wolbach and Tadasu 2 found an anaerobic spore-bearing bacterium in the livers of 21 out of 23 healthy dogs. These authors obtained their material from dogs which were killed by chloroform. The interval between the last feeding and the death of the animal was not stated. They were unable to grow the organisms obtained from the liver in sterile bile, or bile containing media.

The material for our studies was obtained under strict aseptic conditions from 11 normal dogs which had been kept without food for 18 hours. Ether anesthesia was used. The specimens consisted of blood from the portal vein (obtained in 5 dogs), bile from the gallbladder, and a wedge-shaped piece of liver measuring approximately 3 cm. × 2 cm. In addition, the organisms which were obtained from the liver tissue were incubated in undiluted and diluted bile (1:10 to 1:1,000,000). The organisms and bile were obtained from the same animal in each instance. Cooked meat dextrose broth was used as the culture medium. Strict anaerobiosis was maintained. Aerobes as well as anaerobes of intestinal origin develop satisfactorily under these conditions. 3 The liver tissue was also cultured aerobically.

In every dog the bile was sterile. The liver tissue from all the animals yielded a pure culture of an anaerobic spore-bearing bacterium which was similar to the one described by Wolbach. In 3 dogs the organism was identified as B. welchii; in the others the organism was not identified.