Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1959 Nov 30;110(6):1005–1016. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.6.1005

STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVER

VI. THE INTERACTION OF LEUCOCYTES AND ENDOTOXIN IN VITRO

Robert D Collins 1, W Barry Wood Jr 1
PMCID: PMC2137036  PMID: 13811296

Abstract

Study in vitro of the interaction of bacterial endotoxin with rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes has resulted in the following findings: 1. Incubation of endotoxin and leucocytes in saline results in: (a) the release of leucocytic pyrogen, and (b) the inactivation of endotoxin. 2. Cell-free extracts of leucocytes also inactivate endotoxin. 3. Incubation of leucocytes in "physiological" saline causes rapid discharge of leucocytic pyrogen. In contrast, relatively little pyrogen is released by leucocytes incubated in fresh serum. 4. The release of leucocytic pyrogen in serum is markedly stimulated by the presence of endotoxin. 5. Leucocytes obtained from tolerant rabbits interact with endotoxin in essentially the same manner as leucocytes from normal rabbits. The pertinence of these findings to the pathogenesis of fever and to related information concerning human leucocytes has been discussed.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (647.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ATKINS E., WOOD W. B., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. II. Identification of an endogenous pyrogen in the blood stream following the injection of typhoid vaccine. J Exp Med. 1955 Nov 1;102(5):499–516. doi: 10.1084/jem.102.5.499. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BENNETT I. L., Jr, BEESON P. B. Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. I. The effect of injection of extracts and suspensions of uninfected rabbit tissues upon the body temperature of normal rabbits. J Exp Med. 1953 Nov;98(5):477–492. doi: 10.1084/jem.98.5.477. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BENNETT I. L., Jr, BEESON P. B. Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. II. Characterization of fever-producing substances from polymorphonuclear leukocytes and from the fluid of sterile exudates. J Exp Med. 1953 Nov;98(5):493–508. doi: 10.1084/jem.98.5.493. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BENNETT I. L., Jr, CLUFF L. E. Influence of nitrogen mustard upon reactions to bacterial endotoxins; Shwartzman phenomenon and fever. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1952 Oct;81(1):304–307. doi: 10.3181/00379727-81-19859. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BENNETT I. L., Jr, PETERSDORF R. G., KEENE W. R. Pathogenesis of fever: evidence for direct cerebral action of bacterial endotoxins. Trans Assoc Am Physicians. 1957;70:64–73. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. BENNETT I. L., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. III. Failure to demonstrate fever-producing substances in the tissues of leukopenic rabbits. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp. 1956 Jan;98(1):1–6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. BERTHRONG M., CLUFF L. E. Studies of the effect of bacterial endotoxins on rabbit leucocytes. I. Effect of intravenous injection of the substances with and without induction of the local Shwartzman reaction. J Exp Med. 1953 Oct;98(4):331–348. doi: 10.1084/jem.98.4.331. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Beeson P. B., Technical Assistance of Elizabeth Roberts TOLERANCE TO BACTERIAL PYROGENS : II. ROLE OF THE RETICULO-ENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM. J Exp Med. 1947 Jun 30;86(1):39–44. doi: 10.1084/jem.86.1.39. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. CRANSTON W. I., GOODALE F., Jr, SNELL E. S., WENDT F. Inactivation of a bacterial pyrogen by human serum and plasma. Clin Sci. 1956 Nov;15(4):491–495. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. CRANSTON W. I., GOODALE F., Jr, SNELL E. S., WENDT F. The role of leucocytes in the initial action of bacterial pyrogens in man. Clin Sci. 1956 May;15(2):219–226. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. FARR R. S., CLARK S. L., Jr, PROFFITT J. E., CAMPBELL D. H. Some humoral aspects of the development of tolerance to bacterial pyrogens in rabbits. Am J Physiol. 1954 May;177(2):269–278. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1954.177.2.269. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GERBRANDY J., CRANSTON W. I., SNELL E. S. The initial process in the action of bacterial pyrogens in man. Clin Sci. 1954 Nov;13(4):453–459. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. GRANT R., WHALEN W. J. Latency of pyrogen fever; appearance of a fast-acting pyrogen in the blood of febrile animals and in plasma incubated with bacterial pyrogen. Am J Physiol. 1953 Apr;173(1):47–54. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1953.173.1.47. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. KERBY G. P., BARRETT J. A., Jr The effect of hydrocortisone and of piromen in vitro on leukocytes of patients receiving ACTH and cortisone therapy. J Clin Invest. 1954 May;33(5):725–731. doi: 10.1172/JCI102941. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. KING M. K., WOOD W. B., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. III. The leucocytic origin of endogenous pyrogen in acute inflammatory exudates. J Exp Med. 1958 Feb 1;107(2):279–289. doi: 10.1084/jem.107.2.279. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. KING M. K., WOOD W. B., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. IV. The site of action of leucocytic and circulating endogenous pyrogen. J Exp Med. 1958 Feb 1;107(2):291–303. doi: 10.1084/jem.107.2.291. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. KING M. K., WOOD W. B., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. V. The relation of circulating endogenous pyrogen to the fever of acute bacterial infections. J Exp Med. 1958 Feb 1;107(2):305–318. doi: 10.1084/jem.107.2.305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. PETERSDORF R. G., BENNETT I. L., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. VIII. Fever-producing substances in the serum of dogs. J Exp Med. 1957 Aug 1;106(2):293–314. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.2.293. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. PETERSDORF R. G., KEENE W. R., BENNETT I. L., Jr Studies on the pathogenesis of fever. IX. Characteristics of endogenous serum pyrogen and mechanisms governing its release. J Exp Med. 1957 Dec 1;106(6):787–809. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.6.787. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SNELL E. S., GOODALE F., Jr, WENDT F., CRANSTON W. I. Properties of human endogenous pyrogen. Clin Sci. 1957 Nov;16(4):615–626. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES