Untersuchungen über die Reduktionswirkung von Bakterien auf Triphenyltetrazoliumchlorid

Abstract

It has been reported that carcinomatous tissue is able to reduce the colorless, water-soluble triphenyltetra-zoliumchloride (T. T. C.) to formazan. The author tested most of the important bacterial strains and found that they were able to reduce T. T. C. to formazan, if it was added to the broth culture in a quantity which did not inhibit their growth and if the culture was alkaline. The reduction was not observed in filtered cultures, which were free from bacteria. The reduction is unspecific, restricted to the cell body, and may be performed under certain conditions by all living cells, as well as by carcinoma cells. The test is therefore not appropriate for differential diagnosis in bacteriology.