At the Louisiana State University Medical school they're raising germ-free guinea pigs.
It's a fabulous setup with the guinea pigs spending all of their time in two large plastic cylinders where even the most determined germ can't reach them,
The plastic cylinders are equipped with port-holes. Attached to the' port-holes are. shoulder-length rubber gloves. When the medical school scientists want to inspect the guinea pigs or care for them in any way, they place their hands and arms in the long, long gloves. And since the reverse sides of the gloves are always iftside the germ-free isolators the guinea pigs remain completely protected.
DISEASE STUDY .
The small animals are being raised free of germs so they can be used as research tools in the gurgery department of the medical school, * '
"For many years now we havt been /interested in strangulation intestinal obstruction," explained Di\. Geor^e^Boniside, who is assistant professor of surgical re»< search and microbiology at LSU,
Dr. Bronside said that ^when the germ-free guinea pigs are about five or> six weeks old' the experiments will get under way.
"We plan to create in them the same conditions as would be found in humans suffering from strangulation intestinal obstruction," he explained.
Dr. Bornside said scientists believe the tremendous amount of bacteria normally found in the intestinal canal is one of the factors contributing to death in cases of strangulation intestinal obstruction.
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"In germ-free animals we will be able to study the obstruction with one of the causative factors removed,'1 he explained. "This should give us a better insight into the cause of death in such a situation. It should also give us a greater insight into the role played by bacteria."
Dr. Bornside said germ-free guinea pigs can be used in other areas of medical research.
"We can use them to study the role viruses play in the development of certain tumors," said the investigator, "Or the guinea pigs could be used to advantage in nutritional research.'1
The scientist said that when a mother guinea pig is about to give birth, her uterus is removed in,its entirety,
"While still closed, the uterus
is passed through a disinfectant bath and then slipped into a plastic isolator," he explained. "We wait until the uterus is in the isolator before we open it and remove the baby guinea pigs. To make doubly sure that no germs have found their way into the isolator or plastic cylinder we take a culture. The culture is repeated regularly once a week."
GBBM-FREE GOATS
The scientist said food for the germ-free guinea pigs consists of a mixture of cereals, sugar and vitamins.
"Work with germ-free animals got under way at the turn of the century," Dr. Bornside explained. "About 1912 it gained impetus when some European investigators were successful in raising germ-free goats. They maintained these animals in sterile conditions for a whole week, thus proving that goats could live a germ-free existence."
The investigator said, "Until about 1930 the work with germ-free animals was discontinued for technical reasons." Then, he added, it was started again at Notre Dame university,
"Since then there has been an active, germ-free laboratory at Notre Dame," E>r. Bornside said. "Sweden and Japan are also active in raising germ-free animals,"
Dr. Bornside said that initial equipment in this country consist-
ed of huge, stainless steel drums or isolators, connected to autoclaves.
OVERALL VIEW
"But these steel drums are expensive," he added. "They are also heavy and unwieldy. The] plastic cylinders, which were alsoj developed at Notre Dame during the last few years, mark a definite advance. They permit an investigator to work with relatively inexpensive material and they give a better, overall view."
Dr. Bornside said scientists can become so fascinated with their germ-free animals, "they don't want to do anything else but raise them."
"They'll start with a germ-free mouse," he explained. "Then! they'll raise one generation after another of germ-free mice. They become so interested in watching these animals and in comparing varying generations they seldom want to utilize the mice for disease-detecting purposes,"
Dr. Bornside said that when a germ-free guinea pig is suddenly confronted with a germ it hits Mm much harder than it would an ordinary guinea pig since a germ-free guinea pig never has an opportunity to build up a natural immunity to bacteria.
Dr. Isidore. Cohn Jr., professor! of surgery, and Dr. C Edward Hoy_d, resident in surgery afthe medical school, are actively collaborating in this program of germ-free animal research. PHOTO: NIMALS RAISED IN PLASTIC ISOLATORS
DiV George Bornside (left) and Dr, C. Edward Floyd work with germ-free guinea pigs in lab
