Effects of Endotoxins on Cultured Leukocytes

Abstract

Summary The response of peripheral WBC cultures to various endotoxins was compared to unstimulated control cultures. Three normal subjects with low antibody titers to S. typhosa, S. enteritides and E. coli were used as cell donors. These endotoxins produced lymphocyte transformation, DNA synthesis as measured by TdR-H³ incorporation, occasional mitoses, and enhanced monocyte survival in their in vitro WBC cultures. In contrast, endotoxins derived from pseudomonas and S. abortus equi which are relatively non-antigenic were toxic when added to leukocyte cultures and resulted in little or no lymphocyte proliferation,