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J Bacteriol. 1968 March; 95(3): 1003-1010
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of High Oxygen Tensions on the Growth of Selected, Aerobic, Gram-negative, Pathogenic Bacteria

¹ Departments of Physiology, Anesthesiology, and Microbiology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

ABSTRACT

The in vitro effects of high O₂ tensions (P_O2) on aerobic, enteric pathogens were examined at pressures of up to 3 atm absolute. Organisms from the genera Salmonella, Shigella, and Vibrio were usually subjected to 24-hr exposures. Tensions of 0.87, 1.87, and 2.87 atm absolute of O₂ (plus traces of CO₂ and N₂) became progressively inhibitory for Salmonella and Shigella growth, but were bactericidal only for V. comma strains at tensions greater than 0.87 atm absolute of O₂. Growth inhibition of enteric organisms resulted from increased P_O2, rather than pressure per se, and could be mitigated nutritionally; an appropriate carbohydrate source is at least partially involved. Further studies with vibrios indicated that such mitigation was independent of medium pH. In addition, a synergistic relationship existed between O₂ and sulfisoxazole when tensions from 0.87 to 2.87 atm absolute of O₂ were maintained for 3 to 24 hr. Synergism occurred even under nutritional conditions which negated growth inhibition by O₂ alone. Bactericidal concentrations of sulfisoxazole, in the presence of increased P_O2, were reducible up to 4,000-fold. The combined procedure employed in this investigation, by use of an antimicrobial drug of known action, which also synergizes with O₂, plus nutritional studies, suggests a means for establishing a site of O₂ toxicity. These data support the concept that O₂ inhibition of growth represents a metabolic disturbance and that metabolic pathways involving p-aminobenzoic acid may be O₂-labile. Such an approach could also guide development of antimicrobial agents as O₂ substitutes for promoting synergism.