[Pathogenicity expressed by inhibition of the Pasteur effect]

Abstract

The experiments carried out demonstrate that under the influence of tetanus exotoxin, Gram-negative bacteria endotoxins, staphylococcal infection and infestation with Tr. spiralis, inhibition of the Pasteur effect occurs. Recently published data show that the same manifestation of pathogenicity is induced by diphtheria alpha and delta exotoxin, staphylococcal toxin, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin, streptolysin O, infections with Cl. perfringens, Pasteurella and Rickettsia and hepatitis viruses in man. These data confirm a previous hypothesis according to which inhibition of the Pasteur effect represents the expression and metabolic measure of pathogenicity and toxicity. The inhibitory effect was proportional to the amount of pathogenic agent or toxin, just as the respective anatoxin or toxin + endotoxin mixture does not influence the Pasteur effect. The metabolic criteria of the Pasteur effect, i.e. inhibition of hyperlactacidaemia and decrease of the organic P/inorganic P ratio, are thus the direct indices of pathogenicity and toxigenicity. This also accounts for deep alteration of the Pasteur effect in infections generating states of infectious and endotoxinic shock.