Studies on Bacillary Dissemination in Normal and Immunized Animals

Abstract

A comparison was made of the rate of dissemination of tubercle bacilli from the port of entry in eight groups of normal and immunized rabbits and guinea pigs. Enucleations of the sites of bacteriologic examinations, systematic search of regional lymph nodes, and histopathologic studies revealed that a high degree of allergy and severe inflammatory response in the immunized guinea pigs served an important role in the significantly greater percentage of recovered bacilli; less difference in the number of recovered bacilli was observed among groups of rabbits; results confirmed the earlier postulation that mononuclear phagocyte was one mode of bacillary transportation from entry point; a significant rise in recovered bacilli from the immunized guinea pigs during later enucleations and the question whether acquired and native resistance produce synergistic effect have encouraged further study.