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The metabolism of rat lepromas and of rat leprosy bacilli
457 TS~,~SACTLONS OF T~m ROYAL Socx~t'Y OF TROPICAL M.~[CmE AND HYGmNE. Vol. 40. No. 4. March, 1947.
T H E METABOLISM OF RAT LEPROMAS A N D OF R A T LEPROSY BAC]_LLI.* BY
RIVKA ASHBEI.,, Department of Parasitology, The Hebrezv University, jTwrusalem.
Lepromas of. rats heavily infected with rat leprosy were removed by biopsy: parts were used for histology and parts for the study of oxygen consumption, aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis in a Bancroft-Warburg apparatus according to Warburg's methods. Histologically these lepromas showed a uniform picture; they consisted of masses of cells stuffed with bacilli and with nuclei containing relatively little chromatin and indistinguishable from rcti.. culum cells. There were practically no other types of cells, i.e., no r~'und cells or large mononuclears. Irregular patches of necrosis with broken tip nuclei were present throughout the lepromas and these necrotic patches con. sisted mainly of masses o£ bacilli. After determining the gas exchange the tissues were removed and their nitrogen content determined in a mic:oKjeldhal apparatus. The final results (Table 1] were expressed in c . m m l~.r hour per milligram N. As can be seen from tile table the lcpromas cons~cne oxygen, but there is practically no glycolysis, aerobic or anerohic. The respiratory quotient varied from 0"56 to 1"0. Heavily infected lepromas from rats and from the iiveJ: of a L,cavily infected hamster were ground up in sand, saline was added, the mass stirred and slowly centrifuged for 3 minutes. The deposit was discarded and s**pt:r. natant fluid was removed and again sl.owly centrifuged. This was repe,',~.tcd three times, and finally after rapid centrifugation the deposit consisted onlg OThis work was emried'out with a grant,from the National:MediQfl Research Cot,nelL
A[I'71'ABOLISM
4~i8
OF n A T LEPigOMAS AND BAT I,EPIIOSY l i A C | L L i
of bacilli. T h e s e b a c i l l i f r e e d f r o m tissues were p l a c e d i n a B a n c r o f t - W a r b u r g a p p a r a t u s , t h e r e s p i r a t i o n d e t e r m i n e d a n d e x p r e s m d in c . m m . p e r h o u r p e r m i l l i g r a m n i t r o g e n as d e t e r m i n e d in a m i c r o - K i e l d h ' , d . A s c a n b e seen f r o m d i e t a b l e t h e b a c t e r i a f r e e d f r o m tissues c o n s u m e o x y g e n , b u t t h e r e was n o evidence of glycolysis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. "l'aSLli 1. METABOLISMOF RAT LEPROMAS. Oxygen consumption in Ringer and bicarbonate in ram. a 0 2 per hour per nag. N.
Aerobic glycolysis in Ringer, bicarbonate and glucose in nun. s CO I per hour per nag, N.
Anaerobic glycolysis in Ringer, bicarbonate and glucose in mm.S CO t per hour per rag. N.
+ 1.2 0'
0 0
8
14 13
0.3
13-7 3.4 3"3 7-5
+
1.0
R.Q.
0"87
0
0
I.I
0.5
1
0"56
0 0
0 0
0"92
Leproma rat Leproma rat Lepmma rat Leproma rat Leproma rat Leprorna rat Lepmma rat
145a 84 11 149a 84 12 146a 148a 162a
METABOLISM OF ISOLA'I~gl) RAT LEPROSY BACILLI,
1.1
3.1
+ 0"5
+ 0"5
19.-5
0
0
0"69-
B.4
0
0
1
Leprosy from a liver of a hamster 84 13 Leprosy from leproma rat 162a Leprosy from leproma rat I90a
SUMMARY. H e a v i l y inl:ected with r a t l e p r a b a c i l l i glycolysis. Bacilli l i b e r a t e d a e r o b i c or a n a e r o b i c
r a t l e p r o m a s c o n t a i n h ~ g cells o f a u n i f o r m t y p e stuffed s h o w o x y g e n c o n s u m p t i o n b u t n o a e r o b i c o r anaerobic: f r o m tissues also glycolysis.
show
oxygen consumption
but
no
T H E METABOLISM OF RAT LEPROMAS A N D OF R A T LEPROSY BAC]_LLI.* BY
RIVKA ASHBEI.,, Department of Parasitology, The Hebrezv University, jTwrusalem.
Lepromas of. rats heavily infected with rat leprosy were removed by biopsy: parts were used for histology and parts for the study of oxygen consumption, aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis in a Bancroft-Warburg apparatus according to Warburg's methods. Histologically these lepromas showed a uniform picture; they consisted of masses of cells stuffed with bacilli and with nuclei containing relatively little chromatin and indistinguishable from rcti.. culum cells. There were practically no other types of cells, i.e., no r~'und cells or large mononuclears. Irregular patches of necrosis with broken tip nuclei were present throughout the lepromas and these necrotic patches con. sisted mainly of masses o£ bacilli. After determining the gas exchange the tissues were removed and their nitrogen content determined in a mic:oKjeldhal apparatus. The final results (Table 1] were expressed in c . m m l~.r hour per milligram N. As can be seen from tile table the lcpromas cons~cne oxygen, but there is practically no glycolysis, aerobic or anerohic. The respiratory quotient varied from 0"56 to 1"0. Heavily infected lepromas from rats and from the iiveJ: of a L,cavily infected hamster were ground up in sand, saline was added, the mass stirred and slowly centrifuged for 3 minutes. The deposit was discarded and s**pt:r. natant fluid was removed and again sl.owly centrifuged. This was repe,',~.tcd three times, and finally after rapid centrifugation the deposit consisted onlg OThis work was emried'out with a grant,from the National:MediQfl Research Cot,nelL
A[I'71'ABOLISM
4~i8
OF n A T LEPigOMAS AND BAT I,EPIIOSY l i A C | L L i
of bacilli. T h e s e b a c i l l i f r e e d f r o m tissues were p l a c e d i n a B a n c r o f t - W a r b u r g a p p a r a t u s , t h e r e s p i r a t i o n d e t e r m i n e d a n d e x p r e s m d in c . m m . p e r h o u r p e r m i l l i g r a m n i t r o g e n as d e t e r m i n e d in a m i c r o - K i e l d h ' , d . A s c a n b e seen f r o m d i e t a b l e t h e b a c t e r i a f r e e d f r o m tissues c o n s u m e o x y g e n , b u t t h e r e was n o evidence of glycolysis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. "l'aSLli 1. METABOLISMOF RAT LEPROMAS. Oxygen consumption in Ringer and bicarbonate in ram. a 0 2 per hour per nag. N.
Aerobic glycolysis in Ringer, bicarbonate and glucose in nun. s CO I per hour per nag, N.
Anaerobic glycolysis in Ringer, bicarbonate and glucose in mm.S CO t per hour per rag. N.
+ 1.2 0'
0 0
8
14 13
0.3
13-7 3.4 3"3 7-5
+
1.0
R.Q.
0"87
0
0
I.I
0.5
1
0"56
0 0
0 0
0"92
Leproma rat Leproma rat Lepmma rat Leproma rat Leproma rat Leprorna rat Lepmma rat
145a 84 11 149a 84 12 146a 148a 162a
METABOLISM OF ISOLA'I~gl) RAT LEPROSY BACILLI,
1.1
3.1
+ 0"5
+ 0"5
19.-5
0
0
0"69-
B.4
0
0
1
Leprosy from a liver of a hamster 84 13 Leprosy from leproma rat 162a Leprosy from leproma rat I90a
SUMMARY. H e a v i l y inl:ected with r a t l e p r a b a c i l l i glycolysis. Bacilli l i b e r a t e d a e r o b i c or a n a e r o b i c
r a t l e p r o m a s c o n t a i n h ~ g cells o f a u n i f o r m t y p e stuffed s h o w o x y g e n c o n s u m p t i o n b u t n o a e r o b i c o r anaerobic: f r o m tissues also glycolysis.
show
oxygen consumption
but
no