Depression on Normal Serum Bactericidal Activity by Nitrogen Mustard

Abstract

Single intravenous injections of 2.5, 3.0 or 3.5 mg of nitrogen mustard/kg caused a depression in the bactericidal activity of rabbit serum against Bacillus subtilis. The loss of serum bactericidal activity did not take place until about the third post-treatment day and returned to normal between the 14th and 20th days after nitrogen mustard administration. An intravenous injection of L-cysteine immediately prior to the administration of nitrogen mustard decreased the length of time that serum bactericidal activity was depressed following nitrogen mustard treatment. Nitrogen mustard treatment caused no statistically significant difference in either the natural agglutinins against Bacillus subtilis or circulating complement. Both circulating leukocytes and serum properdin were depressed by doses of nitrogen mustard that suppressed serum bactericidal activity. The serologic alterations, leukocytic changes, and the depression of serum bactericidal activity which follows near-lethal doses of nitrogen mustard were almost identical to those that follow exposure to near-lethal doses of total body x-irradiation.