Induction of creatininase activity in chronic renal failure: timing of creatinine degradation and effect of antibiotics.

Creatinine degradation was prospectively studied in four healthy subjects and 35 patients with varying degrees of chronic renal failure by measuring creatininase activity in stool isolates. Patients were subdivided into those with serum creatinine above and below 6 mg/dL. Creatinine degradation in the former group of patients who had not taken antibiotics in the previous 3 months was significantly greater than the latter (64% v 26%; P < 0.

Multigenic control of resistance to Yersinia enterocolitica in inbred strains of mice.

By using recombinant inbred mice derived from strains genetically resistant or susceptible to Yersinia enterocolitica, we demonstrated a tentative linkage of resistance with the Es-1 locus on murine chromosome 8. No correlation with resistance and genes associated with immune regulation was evident. In addition, resistance appeared to be multigenic.

Yersinia enterocolitica infection in resistant and susceptible strains of mice.

We investigated natural resistance in mice to Yersinia enterocolitica, an enteric bacterial pathogen of humans, with a view to determine host genetic factors that are important in resistance. Most mouse strains studied (C3H/HeN, BALB/c, BALB.B, DBA/2, A, Swiss, and SWR) were highly susceptible to infection (50% lethal dose [LD50], 2 X 10(2) to 6 X 10(2) Y.

Effect of cyclacillin and ampicillin on the gut flora of mice.

The oral administration of cyclacillin, a semisynthetic aminoalicyclic penicillin, results in the elimination of the lactobacilli from the gastrointestinal tract of mice. Although cyclacillin has a broad spectrum of activity similar to that of ampicillin, it does not, like ampicillin, affect the other flora of the gastrointestinal tract. Cyclacillin, unlike ampicillin, is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and upper small intestine, so that only small amounts reach the large bowel.