[Ultrastructural analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa invasion into the blood capillaries of the subcutaneous fat].

Wound wall soft tissues from 14 male rats were studied electron-microscopically 5 hours after subcutaneous implantation of a gauze piece with 3 X 10(10) organisms of Ps. aeruginosa on it. In a special series of experiments done on 75 rats, 78% of the animals have demonstrated a generalized pseudomonal infection, i. e. sepsis. The bacterial invasion into the blood stream occurred on the microcirculatory level due to inadequacy of the phagocytic barrier caused by bacterial damage of micro and macrophages. Vascular wall component destruction and capillary haemostasis (stasis, thrombosis) appeared to predispose the microbial invasion into the vascular lumen. The bacteria entered the circulation by the microembolic mechanism.