Mode of Action of Antituberculosis Drugs and Ultrastructure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

항결핵제(抗結核劑)의 결핵균(結核菌)에 대(對)한 작용(作用) 및 미세구조(微細構造) 변화(變化)

The aim of this research was to discover the action mechanism of various antituberculosis agents (isoniazid, paraaminosalicylic acid and streptomycin) which act on Mycobacteria tuberculosis hominis $H_{37}R_v$ and also to study the relationship of ultrastructural changes and the growth pattern in Mycobacterium tuberculosis hominis. The ultrastructural change was observed with an electron microscope while the growth pattern was studied through in vitro culture. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The ultrastructural changes found in the group treated only with isoniazid were the loss of nuclear materials and the appearence of electron dense granules. 2. In the group treated with paraaminosalicylic acid, thickening of nuclear filaments and meso some arrangement disorders were observed. 3. In the group treated with streptomycin, the ribosome particles appeared indistinct and the cytoplasm was denaturalized. 4. In the group cross treated with all three agents, all the ultrastructural changes mentioned above could be observed in the cell just as they appeared in the single treated groups. 5. In all of the single and in the crossly treated group, there were no significant changes note in the cell wall or cytoplasmic membranes of any of the cells observed. 6. In the cultural data in vitro, through the crossly treated group and single treated group. growth was observed in 3-5 weeks of culture.