Phagocytosis and killing of suspended and adhered bacteria by peritoneal cells after dialysis.

Objective: To determine the effect of dialysis fluid containing various glucose concentrations on the phagocytosis and killing of Staphylococcus aureus by rat peritoneal cells under conditions mimicking the in vivo situation.

Design: Phagocytosis and killing were evaluated by quantitation of the killing capacity of macrophages after in vivo phagocytosis of the bacteria as well as by an in vitro flow cytometric assay of the phagocytosis and killing of adhered bacteria by peritoneal cells.

Animals: Male Wistar rats.

Establishing an experimental infection model for peritoneal dialysis: effect of inoculum and volume.

The effect of the number of bacteria and the volume of the inoculum was studied in an experimental infection model to establish a peritoneal dialysis model in the rat. Staphylococcus aureus was used in all experiments, and Staphylococcus epidermidis only in the volume experiments. A bacterial number between 10(8) and 10(9) colony-forming units (cfu) resulted in a time-dependent decrease of bacteria collected from the peritoneal cavity.