Detection of endotoxins with the Limulus test in burned and unburned mice infected with different species of gramnegative bacteria

Abstract

The Limulus test detected endotoxins in the plasma of burned and unburned mice infected with different species of gram-negative bacteria. Individual strains of different species of gram-negative bacteria produced different amounts of endotoxin in the plasma of infected mice. Plasma from mice given lethal infections showed very high concentrations of endotoxin. Low concentrations of endotoxin in the plasma were tolerated by mice but high concentrations were invariably fatal. A polyvalent pseudomonas vaccine reduced endotoxin in the plasma of mice given lethal infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.