Abstract
Diethylstilbestrol (DS) has been shown to be active against staphylococci and other gram-positive bacteria but not against gram-negative microorganisms. The present study extends these findings. Standardized suspensions of 14C-labeled Staphylococcus aureus serotypes III and IV and Shigella flexneri were prepared and exposed to pharmacological concentrations of DS (1 to 20 μg/ml) under diverse environmental conditions; the cells were removed by membrane filtration and the presence of radioactive substances in release to the supernatant fraction was followed by standard radioisotopic techniques. Controls were exposed similarly to the hormone vehicle alone (buffer containing 2% ethyl alcohol). DS at bactericidal concentrations above 6 μg/ml caused significant leakage of cellular radioactivity of S. aureus labeled with 14C-glucose and 14C-glutamic acid within 1 to 4 hr after exposure to DS. Maximum leakage of radioactivity occurred under anaerobic conditions at 37 C. Absorption studies of 14C-labeled DS indicated that the affinity of S. flexneri for DS is markedly less than that of S. aureus. This might be one reason for the resistance of gram-negative bacteria to DS.
Full text
PDF




Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BAIRD-PARKER A. C. A classification of micrococci and staphylococci based on physiological and biochemical tests. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Mar;30:409–427. doi: 10.1099/00221287-30-3-409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DAVIDSON J. D., FEIGELSON P. Practical aspects of internal-sample liquid-scintillation counting. Int J Appl Radiat Isot. 1957 Apr;2(1):1–18. doi: 10.1016/0020-708x(57)90021-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hamilton W. A. The mechanism of the bacteriostatic action of tetrachlorosalicylanilide: a Membrane-active antibacterial compound. J Gen Microbiol. 1968 Mar;50(3):441–458. doi: 10.1099/00221287-50-3-441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- NEWTON B. A. The properties and mode of action of the polymyxins. Bacteriol Rev. 1956 Mar;20(1):14–27. doi: 10.1128/br.20.1.14-27.1956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SALTON M. R. J. The adsorption of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide by bacteria, its action in releasing cellular constituents and its bactericidal effects. J Gen Microbiol. 1951 May;5(2):391–404. doi: 10.1099/00221287-5-2-391. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smith R. F., Shay D. E. Steroid lysis of protoplasts and effects of stabilizers and steroid antagonists. Appl Microbiol. 1965 Sep;13(5):706–712. doi: 10.1128/am.13.5.706-712.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Varricchio F., Dorrenbos N. J., Stevens A. Effect of azasteroids on gram-positive bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1967 Feb;93(2):627–635. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.2.627-635.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]