Table 1.

Assessment of Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (LT) toxicity.

		Vehicle	LT	LT lethal
	Body weight (g)	25.4 ± 0.5	26.1 ± 0.8	25.3 ± 0.8
	Serum albumin (g/l)	18.9 ± 1.3	16.9 ± 1.2	11.3 ± 2.1*
Blood pressure	Systolic (mmHg)	121.5 ± 6.8	122.6 ± 4.7	n.a.
	Diastolic (mmHg)	81.3 ± 7.0	81.8 ± 3.9	n.a.
	Heart rate (bpm)	733 ± 36	740 ± 29	n.a.
Blood count	Lymphocyte (%)	85 ± 5.6	88.2 ± 3.2	53 ± 5.7*
	Neutrophil (%)	8.2 ± 3.8	6.8 ± 0.8	15.5 ± 0.7*
	Monocyte (%)	3.4 ± 1.7	3.2 ± 1.6	31.5 ± 6.4*
	Eosinophil (%)	1.6 ± 1.1	0.6 ± 0.9	0 ± 0
	Basophil (%)	1.8 ± 1.3	1.2 ± 1.3	0.5 ± 0.7
Wet/Dry ratio	Lung	4.2 ± 0.3	4.2 ± 0.24	4.48 ± 0.1*
	Heart	4.08 ± 0.13	4.06 ± 0.36	4.42 ± 0.18*
Echocardiography	LVEDV (μl)	43.7 ± 6.9	43.7 ± 3.1	n.a.
	SV (μl)	35.4 ± 2.1	38.9 ± 2.1	n.a.
	LVM (mg)	133.2 ± 30.7	142.3 ± 26.3	n.a.
	EF (%)	82.3 ± 11.6	82.5 ± 13.7	n.a.
Endothelial function	LogIC50 (M Carbachol)	−5.2 ± 0.33	−5.25 ± 0.14	n.a.
	LogIC50 (M Nitro)	−5.36 ± 0.38	−5.43 ± 0.51	n.a.

Wild-type mice were treated for 4 weeks with vehicle or LT in the therapeutic dose of 0.1 μg LT/week via osmotic mini-pumps or received a lethal dose of LT (150 ng/kg i.p.), and body weight, heart rate, blood pressure, endothelial function, echocardiographic parameters, differential blood count and markers of vascular permeability were evaluated. LVEDV, left ventricular end-diastolic volume; SV, stroke volume; LVM, left ventricular mass; EF, ejection fraction.

^*p < 0.05.