AN IN VIVO PYELONEPHRITIS ASSAY FOR SCREENING THERAPEUTIC AGENTS

Eighty to 100% of mice stressed with an intraperitoneal dose of 200-240 mgbromoethylamine hydrobromide (BEA)/kg and infected intraveneously 72 hours laterwith Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli or Serratia host large numbers of bacteria in their kidneys 3-4 days post-infection. If death (probably due to uremic poisoning) does not intervene, the infection lasts for weeks. The therapeutic effects of carbenicillin and ampicillin were tested in this pyelonephritis model. Carbenicillin was effective against Pseudomonas ; ampicillin had an effect against P. mirabilis, but neither carbenicillin nor ampicillin was effective against Serratia-induced pyelonephritis.