title: Continuous infusion of endotoxin depresses splenic blastogenesis.
abstract: Continuous infusion of a sublethal dose of bacterial endotoxin into rats via an implanted osmotic pump markedly affected the blastogenic responsiveness of spleen cells to specific endotoxin as well as to the nonspecific mitogens Con A, PHA or PWM. There was also a marked alteration in lymphoid cell type and number in the spleen of the rats after continuous infusion of endotoxin, with a marked increase in plasma cell infiltration and germinal center formation. There was no significant alteration in glucocorticoid steroid levels. Control rats given saline only for a period of seven days via an implanted pump showed no or minimal effect for the first 5 days and then a delayed depression of blastogenic responses to LPS and to Con A, but this time lag contrasted markedly to the much earlier unresponsiveness of splenocytes from rats infused with endotoxin. Only a slight to moderate cellular infiltration occurred in the spleen of control rats implanted with a pump infusing saline only or an empty pump. Thus endotoxin infusion in a continuous manner via an implanted pump accounted for the early and marked suppression of responsiveness, as well as alteration in spleen size and cellularity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pross
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Widen
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Vial
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spitzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D003345:Corticosterone