Abstract
The uniformly high potency of citrated plasma as compared with the limited capacity of serum to inactivate endotoxin in vitro was found to be a consequence of the anticoagulant employed in collecting the plasma. Addition of calcium to plasma suppressed the activity of its endotoxm detoxifying component (EDC) whereas the addition of calcium-binding anticoagulants rendered serum comparable to plasma. Dialysis of plasma resulted in a marked reduction of its EDC activity despite the concommittant elimination of calcium. EDC activity could then be fully restored upon the addition of calcium-binding anticoagulants. Resin-treated plasma, without added anticoagulant, had EDC activity equal to plasma obtained with calcium-binding anticoagulants. Following dialysis, resin-treated plasma also sustained a marked reduction in EDC activity which could be fully restored by calcium-binding anticoagulants. Restoration was also obtained with the dialysate even after ashing. These findings indicated that the suppression of EDC activity by calcium is not direct but is mediated through its effects on an anionic component of plasma which is required for inactivation of endotoxin by EDC.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (619.8 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- GOOD R. A., THOMAS L. Studies on the generalized Shwartzman reaction. II. The production of bilateral cortical necrosis of the kidneys by a single injection of bacterial toxin in rabbits previously treated with thorotrast or trypan blue. J Exp Med. 1952 Dec;96(6):625–641. doi: 10.1084/jem.96.6.625. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LANDY M., SKARNES R. C., ROSEN F. S., TRAPANI R. J., SHEAR M. J. Inactivation of biologically active endotoxic polysaccharides by fresh human serum. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1957 Dec;96(3):744–747. doi: 10.3181/00379727-96-23596. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SKARNES R. C., ROSEN F. S., SHEAR M. J., LANDY M. Inactivation of endotoxin by a humoral component. II. Interaction of endotoxin with serum and plasma. J Exp Med. 1958 Nov 1;108(5):685–699. doi: 10.1084/jem.108.5.685. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]