Abstract
Kisskalt 1 found that the susceptibility of mice to enteritides infections was increased after the administration of saponin. He concluded that this was due to the lowering of surface tension and increasing the spaces between the cells lining the mucosa. We have investigated this problem from the viewpoint advocated by Arnold. 2
Half-grown mice were given 0.1 cc. of a 20% aqueous solution of saponin by stomach tube. The animals were killed at various time intervals and the bacterial flora and hydrogen-ion concentration of the contents of the stomach, duodenum and jejunum were determined. The time intervals varied from 15 minutes to 12 hours. There were 180 mice used in the experiment recorded in the accompanying graph. The graph illustrates the changes produced within a 6-hour period of time after the introduction of saponin. There was little variation found in the 20 mice used for each time interval experiment. There is a sudden change in the hydrogen-ion concentration and the bacterial flora following intragastric application of saponin.
Organ cultures after the introduction of saponin in the stomach accompanied by a dose of B. enteritides show a widespread distribution of this organism within the body of the animal. When the same dose of bacteria is introduced without saponin the organs were found to be sterile after the same period of time. The increased susceptibility observed by Kisskalt, 1 seems to be intimately associated with certain demonstrable changes in the bacterial flora and acid-base equilibrium of the stomach and small intestine. The changes within the intragastric and intestinal contents have been shown to take place as a result of certain alterations in environment of the animal (Arnold 2 ). Saponin causes a sudden alteration in the acid-base equilibrium and in the bacterial flora of the contents of the stomach and small intestine.
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