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Influence of Microorganisms on Oxygen Consumption, Carbon Dioxide Production and Colonic Temperature of Rats^{1, 2,}

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York

The O₂ consumption and CO₂ production by germfree rats and their colonic temperature are significantly lower than those of conventionalized rats; the respiratory quotient (RQ) is not different. When germfree rats are monocontaminated with Clostridium welchii or Bacteroides sp. there were no changes in O₂ consumption or CO₂ production. When Escherichia coli (a facultative anaerobe) was the monocontaminant, colonic temperature did not change but there were prompt and parallel rises in O₂ consumption and CO₂ production to levels close to those of conventionalized rats. The changes in metabolic rate lagged behind the increase in viable bacteria in the feces. The feeding of large quantities of heat-killed E. coli to germfree rats did not change their O₂ consumption, CO₂ production or colonic temperature. Serum protein-bound iodine and serum thyroxine iodine levels were similar in the germfree, conventionalized, E. coli and Bacteroides sp. rats. When neomycin was given to rats harboring Bacteroides sp., E. coli and Proteus sp., the numbers of these bacteria were reduced and oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production fell; colonic temperature did not change. It appears that the bacteria and mechanisms involved for the metabolic and colonic temperature changes noted may be different.

² Preliminary report of these data was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 1966. Federation Proc., 25: 482 (abstract).

³ Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York.

⁴ Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York.

⁵ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York.

Manuscript received 10 October 1968.