The relation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle to bacterial infection. IV. The effect of three metabolic inhibitors and Salmonella typhimurium on the citric acid content of mouse tissues

Experiments to determine the effect of changes in metabolism induced by means of specific inhibitors upon the response to infection were first reported by Ackermann (1951). He administered to mice sublethal doses of sodium fluoroacetate, which blocks the tricarboxylic acid cycle and causes citric acid to accumulate in the lungs. Under these conditions, the propagation of type A influenza virus, artificially introduced into the mice by nasal insufflation, was markedly inhibited. More recently experiments have been conducted (Berry and Mitchell, 1953a and b) which show that mice are more susceptible to bacterial infection when the citric acid cycle is partially blocked. The administration of three inhibitors