Role of Protein Component of Endotoxin in Modification of Host Reactivity.

Abstract

The influence of endotoxlns of varying nitrogen content on water intake and numbers of hemolysin-forming spleen cells in mice and on delayed skin reactivity in rabbits was investigated. Pretreatment with an aqueous-ether endotoxin of Salmonella enteritldls results in heightened reactivity to a subsequent test dose of the aqueous-ether or protein-free (Ribi) endotoxin, whereas pretreatment with the protein-free endotoxin fails to modify subsequent reactivity to either endotoxin. Similarly, pretreatment with the Boivln endotoxin of S. abortus equi increases reactivity on subsequent test with the Boivln or Westphal endotoxin, whereas pretreatment with the partially deprotelnized Westphal endotoxin does not enhance reactivity to subsequent tests with either endotoxin. The Implications of these findings for the hypothesis that adult host reactivity to endotoxlns Is contributed to by an acquired delayed hypersensitlvlty are discussed.