Permeability of Normal and Denervated Kidney to Bacteria (V)

Abstract

We previously reported the result as indicated by roentgenograms of the injected vascular bed in normal and denervated kidneys following the injection of adrenalin, snake venom and following single and repeated chill. 1

We here report the results of a series of experiments to determine the permeability of the normal and the denervated kidney to bacteria. Various workers have shown that tubercle bacilli can pass through the anatomically normal human kidney leaving no trace in the organ. 2 , 3 Petersen and 4 have demonstrated that with the onset the chill in the course of continuous injection of B. coli in dogs one of whose kidneys was denervated previously that the organisms can be recovered in the urine from the normal kidney but not from the urine of the denervated kidney. The technic for denervation used is that previously described. After an interval of 2 to 3 weeks following denervation the ureters were incannulated separately and urine collected from each.

In the first series of experiments a suspension of B. prodigiosus was injected into the femoral vein and 1 cc. of urine at 5 to 15 minute intervals was plated on plain agar, incubated and the number of colonies counted.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the excretion of organisms from the normal was cyclic reaching 250 per cc. of urine in 15 minutes, 560 per cc. in a half hour, 60 at 45 minutes, 320 at 1 hour, etc., whereas the excretion through the denervated kidney remained at 20 to 60 for the first 1 1/2 hours, rising to 360 at 2 hours and dropping to 50, to rise again at 3 1/2 hours, following in general the output through the normal kidney but at a distinctly lower level.