Effect of Sulfanilamide upon the Viability of Meningococci in Spinal Fluid

Abstract

The investigations of Branham and Rosenthal, 1 Buttle, Gray, and Stephenson, 2 McPherson Brown, 3 Proom, 4 Rosenthal, Bauer, and Branham, 5 have established the curative value of sulfanilamide and related compounds in experimental meningococcal infections of animals. In man, favorable results in the treatment of meningococcal meningitis by means of sulfanilamide (either alone or in conjunction with antimeningococcal serum) were reported by numerous observers. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 In a recent communication, 18 it was reported that sulfanilamide may exert a bacteriostatic action upon meningococci present in spinal fluid of patients with meningococcal meningitis. When such spinal fluids were incubated with sulfanilamide, growth of meningococci failed to take place, while the number of microörganisms in a specimen without sulfanilamide showed a marked increase. In the following, experiments are being reported dealing with the action of sulfanilamide upon the viability of meningococci.

The experiments were carried out in the following manner: Spinal fluid was obtained from patients with meningococcal meningitis prior to treatment. It was taken and kept under sterile precautions. Ten drops of spinal fluid were mixed with equal amounts of sulfanilamide in various concentrations, ranging from 0.8% to 0.0064%. The preparation used was Prontylin, Winthrop, repurified for injection, and was dissolved in physiological saline solution. The spinal fluid-sulfanilamide mixtures were then incubated at 37°C. After various periods of incubation, subcultures were made on 30% ascitic-chocolate-agar plates. The plates were incubated at 37°C in a jar containing about 10% CO₂. The resulting growth of meningococci was noted.