1. From the 20 compounds tested for their
chemotherapeutic action against mice infected with
the haemolytic streptococcus, p- aminobenzenesulphon
amide, M. & B. 693, (2- sulphanilylaminopyridine),
3- nitro -4- hydroxybenzenesulphonamide, 3- nitro -4-
aminobenzenesulphonamide, 1: 4di(aminobenzenesulphon
yl)piperazine and 1:4 diXacetylaminobenzenesulphonyl)piperazine showed definite activity. Of
these 6 compounds, p- aminobenzenesulphonamide and
2- sulphanilylaminopyridine are already known to
have antistreptococcal properties while 3- nitro -4-
aminobenzenesulphonamide has been reported inactive.
Investigations in the curative properties of the
two piperazine derivatives, and of 3- nitro -4- hydroxybenzenesulphonamide have not been before reported.
2. Against a pneumococcal infection in mice
p- aminobenzenesulphonamide had a slight death
delaying effect, but the other 12 compounds examined'
were inactive.
3. Using the staphylococcus as the infecting
organism, diacetyldiaminodiphenylsulphide and 1 :4
di( acetylaminosulphonyl)piperazine had a protective action on the infected mice, while
M. & B. 693 (2- sulphanilylaminopyridine) delayed
death in the animals injected with the staphylococcus
and fed with this compound.
4. No protective power could be demonstrated¡
with any of the 20 compounds against mice infected
with Bacillus Aertrycke.
5. With some of the compounds a bactericidal
effect was evident in vitro against the streptococcus
and the pneumococcus, but against the staphylococcus
and Bacillus Aertrycke there was little effect from
any of the compounds. The results of the in
vitro experiments do not run parallel to those obtained in the animal experiments, thus the effect in
the animal body must be other than a simple bactericidal one.
6. The results are against the suggestion
that the special conditions of animal tissue in
respect of pH and Eh might modify the bactericidal
action observed in the in vitro results.
7. No evidence could be obtained, from
attempts to oxidise sulphanilamide by atmospheric
oxygen in presence of enzymes or of manganese salts,
that a highly active oxidation product could be
formed.
8. The bearing of these results on the
mechanism of the action of sulphanilamide is discussed.
INCLUDES INSERTS: The Use of Compounds Related
to ρ-Aminobenzenesulphonamide in The
Treatment of Certain Infections in Mice. [FROM THE BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL, Vol. XXXII, No. 10, pp. 1770 -1774, 1938] •
THE CHEMOTHERAPY OF TYPHOID
AND SOME OTHER NON-STREPTOCOCCAL
INFECTIONS IN MICE
BY
G. A. H. BUTTLE, H. J. PARISH, MORAG McLEOD and DORA STEPHENSON. Reprinted from THE LANCET, March 20th, 1937, p. 681 •
