Edward G. Hampp

Isolation and identification of spirochetes obtained from unexposed canals of pulp-involved teeth.

Abstract Microscopic examination of specimens obtained from unexposed canals of pulp-involved teeth exhibited the presence of spirochetes in twenty-one specimens out of thirty-eight samples. Subsequent cultivation of this material resulted in the isolation and pure cultivation of ten strains of the small type of treponemes. In addition, four mixed cultures containing small treponemes were obtained in enrichment tubes. Of the ten pure isolates of the small treponemes obtained in this study, two were definite gas producers. B. vincentii and B. buccale were not observed, either microscopically or culturally, in these specimens. In addition to the small treponemes, one strain of Spirillum sputigenum (Selenomonas) was isolated in pure culture and other strains were observed in enrichment tubes in mixed culture.

Inhibition of Oral Spirochetes by Antibiotic Agents in Vitro

A NUMBER of antibiotics have been employed for treatment of Vincents infection (ulcerative gingivo-stomatitis). These include penicillin, streptomycin, and aureomycin.1 2, 3 In view of the fact that the precise etiology of this disease is still open to debate, it seemed of interest to investigate the effects of various antibiotics with this condition. The present phase of the investigation deals with in vitro inhibition of the growth of several strains of Borrelia vincentii and small oral treponemes.

Metabolic Gas Production by a Variety of Spirochetes

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUA LE PRODUCTION DE GAS METABOLIC PER UN VARIETATE DE SPIROCHETES.—Le uso de duo differente typos de medio e le introduction de variationes in le typo de inricchimento seral o in le substantia reductori in le medio completate non afficeva appreciabilemente le capacitate del spirochetes hydrogeno-productori de elaborar ille gas. Le mesme resultatos esseva obtenite quando glucosa esseva omittite ab un del duo medios. Il esseva demonstrate in plus que un treponema productori de gas poteva esseva culturate in massa, con le possibilitate de sedimentar le cellulas per centrifugation e de resuspender los pro un essayage del production de hydrogeno in le microrespirometro de Warburg. Esseva trovate que le intensitate del production de hydrogeno esseva approximativemente equal a illo de bioxydo de carbon.

Studies on the survival of parenterally inoculated oral treponemes in the guinea pig

Abstract Germ-free and conventional guinea pigs were inoculated intraperitoneally and intramuscularly with between 107 and 108 cells of either of two pure strains of small oral treponemes isolated from human beings. The organisms were inoculated in their growth medium, which contained a small amount of charcoal as a marker for the inoculation site. After two weeks there was no evidence of infection, and spirochetes could not be recovered in cultures or observed in sections of the inoculation sites. A time study of intramuscular inoculation in conventional guinea pigs of 108 cells of a third small oral treponeme in charcoal-containing medium revealed that under these conditions the spirochetes provoked the early histologic response of a typical acute and diffuse inflammatory lesion which, however, was well on the way to resolution within forty-eight hours. Twenty-four hours after inoculation viable spirochetes no longer could be demonstrated in the tissues by microscopic examination or recovered in cultures of the inoculation site.

The in Vitro Effects of Antibiotics on Oral Spirochetes

TN an earlier paper, the authors reported the effects of a number of chemol therapeutic agents on the growth in vitro of the small oral treponemes and Borrelia vincentii.1 Since that time the successful cultivation of Borrelia buccalis in vitro has been reported.2 The purpose of this study was to compare the in vitro responses of these -three types of oral spirochetes to some of the newer antibiotic agents.