Blood Chemical Changes in Experimental Streptococcus Septicemia

The following changes have been found to occur in rabbits given fatal intravenous doses of Streptococcus hemolyticus: The blood sugar concentration drops at a constant rate throughout the disease, but does not reach a condition of hypoglycemia. Glycogen is present in the liver at death. The CO(2) capacity is lowered markedly at first, then returns to a somewhat higher level, at which it continues until the terminal stage of the disease, when the acidosis becomes very marked. Inorganic phosphorus is markedly increased in concentration at the terminus of the disease. This increase is greater in animals showing an acute course than in those in which the disease is of the fulminating type. Calcium also shows terminal changes, decreases occurring in both groups. In the acutely infected rabbits the decrease is less than in the fulminating group, although in both a pathological level is reached. Non-protein nitrogen and creatinine are greatly increased in the terminal stages, in both groups of animals. It is suggested that these observations can be explained on the assumption of a large amount of acid production by the streptococcus in vivo.