Abstract
Kaufman 1 showed that the oral ingestion of small doses of saponin caused a sudden alteration in the bacterial flora and the acid-base equilibrium of the contents of the stomach and small intestine of mice. His work was part of a study upon the increased susceptibility of rodents to enteritides infections. We have extended Kaufman's experiments to dogs. In addition to the intra-intestinal changes we have studied the distribution of B. coli in the organs of these animals.
Thirty-four dogs were used. Two cm. of a 20% aqueous solution of saponin was administered by stomach tube. The animals were killed at various time intervals. The hydrogen-ion concentration of the contents of the stomach, duodenum, upper and lower jejunum was determined by Heilig's capillary comparator, and the distribution of B. coli was obtained by culture upon Endo media. The lymph glands of the splanchnic region, liver, kidney, spleen and lungs were also examined for the presence of B. coli by taking pieces from these organs, putting them into flasks of broth for 18 hours, then spreading 5 drops from these broth cultures on Endo media plates. The plates were read in 48 hours. No bacteria were administered in these experiments. The B. coli cultured in organs were endogenous strains.
Graph 1 shows that saponin causes a change within the acid-base balance and the bacterial flora in dogs similar to those reported by Kaufman for rats. Graph 2 shows that there is associated with the intra-intestinal changes the sudden appearance within certain organs, mesenteric lymph node, liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs of viable B. coli.
The oral ingestion of saponin causes a sudden change in the acidbase equilibrium and in the endogenous bacterial flora.
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