[The influence of cyclic heating and cooling on Escherichia coli survival].

Repeated heating and cooling in lethal (2-52 degrees C) and nonlethal (2-37 degrees C) temperature ranges resulted in cell death of Escherichia coli B/r and E. coli B(S-1) suspended in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 at varying osmotic pressure, but not in cow's milk. The lethal effect increased with the rate of heating and with increasing suspension media tonicity; it may be caused by the temperature destabilization of cellular osmotic homeostasis.