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. 1979 Jun;24(3):667–672. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.3.667-672.1979

Suppressive effect of bacterial endotoxin on the expression of cell-mediated anti-Listeria immunity.

M F Newborg, R J North
PMCID: PMC414358  PMID: 112056

Abstract

Intravenous injection of bacterial endotoxin into mice at any time during ongoing infection with Listeria monocytogenes resulted in a markedly increased multiplication of this organism in the liver and spleen. Experiments designed to investigate the basis of this infection-enhancing effect revealed that endotoxin was also capable of inhibiting the expression of adoptive T-cell-mediated anti-Listeria immunity if given to normal recipient mice up to 48 h before they were infused with protective T-cells. On the other hand, endotoxin had only a marginal effect on the expression of adoptive immunity if given to donor mice before their spleen cells were harvested for adoptive transfer. Taken together, these results indicate that endotoxin probably interferes with the antibacterial function of macrophages rather than with mediator lymphocytes. The additional finding that the infection-enhancing action of endotoxin could be greatly reduced by making mice "tolerant" to endotoxin suggests that the acquisition of tolerance to this effect of endotoxin may be an important adaptive mechanism in acquired resistance to infection with gram-negative bacteria.

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Selected References

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

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