AUMENTO DA PATOGENICIDADE DA SALMONELLA TYPHI PARA CAMUNDONGOS PELA AÇÃO DO AGENTE UMECTANTE "DECERESOL OT" (DI-OCTIL-SODIO-SULFO-SUCCINATO)

Abstract

Assuming the possibility that wetting agents, through their penetrating properties, might facilitate the access to the host's tissues and further invasion of infectious microorganisms, the effect of Deceresol OT on the pathogenicity of Salmonella typhi was investigated. This compound - dioctil-sodium-sulpho-sucdnate, an ester of a sulpho-dicarboxylic acid - was chosen for its remarkable properties of penetration, due to its strong lowering power on surface tension, and for its innocuity for mice and for S. typhi, as observed in this investigation. The effect on the pathogenicity of the bacilli was verified by comparing the mortalities obtained through the intraperitoneal inoculation of mice with suspensions in saline and suspensions in saline with the wetting-agent in a 1:500 concentration. Five tests were made, with two strains "Ty 2" and one "Panamá 58". An increase of the LD50 through the action of Deceresol OT was observed consistently. This increase varied from 100 to 2.000 times, approximately. It must be noted that the strains employed were avirulent. Other investigations will be made, in an attempt to explain the mechanism of action of the phenomenon observed.