Year: 1974
Type: article
Abstract: Human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were made anaerobic by nitrogen washout (oxygen saturation <1%, Eh < -42 mV at pH 7.0), and the ability of the cells to kill bacteria was assayed and compared to the bactericidal activity of aerobic PMN. Anaerobic PMN were able to kill Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus, viridans streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium perfringens, and Peptococcus magnus normally. Organisms that were not killed normally by anaerobic PMN included Staphylococcus aureus (strains Wood 46 and 502a), Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella typhimurium. These findings suggest that mechanisms other than those dependent on hydrogen peroxide may be important in the killing of some bacteria.
Source: Infection and Immunity
Author: Gerald L. Mandell
Institutions: University of Virginia Medical Center, University of Virginia
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1873563342