Influence of Streptomycin and Promin on Proliferation of Tubercle Bacilli in the Tissues of Albino Rat

Abstract

Four groups of rats were inoculated intraperit. with 5 rag. tubercle bacilli, human strain A27. Three of the groups were treated, either individually or in combination, with streptomycin and promin. The streptomycin was given intramusc. 50,000 U./kg. daily and the promin was fed in the diet at a level of 0.7%. The 4th group served as controls. 28-53 days after inoculation the animals were killed in equal no. in each of the 4 groups and the effects of treatment detd. by (a) direct tissue smears for presence of tubercle bacilli, (b) subculturing of lung suspensions on glycerine-egg slants, (c) subinoculation of lung suspensions subcut. into guinea pigs. All the controls and all the animals treated with promin alone gave evidence of harboring viable pathogenic bacilli, the animals treated with streptomycin alone showed an av. lower colony count than the controls, while treatment with both drugs appeared to indicate sterilization of 41.6% of the animals and marked decrease and attenuation of persisting viable tubercle bacilli in the remainder.