Previous work in this laboratory showed that
diethylstilbestrol was capable of suppressing induced
furunculosis in rabbits. The present study indicates that the synthetic estrogenic
hormone diethylstilbestrol which is used for
acne,
estrogen deficiency,
cancer, and other disorders, can reduce the cytolytic action of
staphylococcal alpha toxin. The cytotoxic action of purified alpha toxin for tissue cultures was evaluated by use of such parameters as total and viable cell counts,
glucose, and
protein determination, and cytopathic effects (CPE) in the presence and absence of
steroids. To 3-day-old primary rabbit baby kidney tissue cultures, 1 to 5 mug of
diethylstilbestrol per ml was added; growth of tissue cultures in Eagles medium was continued till the 6th day, and then one tissue cytopathic dose per milliliter of alpha toxin was added, and the subsequent fate of tissue cultures was assayed. Such cultures yielded higher total and viable cell counts, utilized more
glucose, and contained more
protein than the control cultures. In control cultures, CPE was observed on the 3rd hr after the addition of alpha toxin, and it was complete in 24 hr, whereas in tissue cultures treated with
diethylstilbestrol, the CPE was significantly reduced. The data presented in this study made possible the availability of a suppressor of the cytolytic action of alpha toxin and might be useful in assaying the action of alpha toxin in an in vitro inexpensive test system.