Failure to Enhance the Growth of B. Leprae by Wherry's Gaseous Method (CO 2,O 2 Environment)

Abstract

One of us (Duval¹) reported the observation that the acid-fast bacillus of Hansen in removed pieces of leprous tissue continued slowly, over a period of months, to multiply and that the microdetail by Holst and Frölich, 2 Hess, 3 Höjer and Westin, 4 Meyer and McCormick, 5 and others. Changes in the organs have received less attention.

Guinea pigs were fed on the basal vitamin C free diet of Sherman, 6 supplemented by cod liver oil and yeast to supply adequate quantities of vitamins A, B, D, and G. After a preliminary survey of the histopathology of the organs and tissues, work was concentrated on adrenals, heart, testes and liver in which evidence of scorbutic effects was most marked. The pathologic bone changes studied by us did not differ from those reported by other investigators.

Microchemical preparations of formalin fixed and fresh tissue, both teased and cut with freezing microtome, were compared after treatment with Sudan iv, osmic acid, Nile blue sulphate and Nile pink 7 for distribution of fat. Since practically identical pictures were obtained with all of these reagents, in later work Sudan iv and formalin fixed tissue was chosen. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections were used for controls.

The distribution of cholesterol esters was indicated by the presence of doubly refractive materials in warmed formalin sections when examined with Nicol's prisms. The distribution and relative concentration of vitamin C in the tissues, particularly in the adrenals, was followed by the intensity of the reduction of 0.4% neutral silver nitrate.