Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 enhances synthesis of endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor in mice.
Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) was tested for its ability to enhance the production of endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in C3H/HeN mice. The TNF level in serum was quantified by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was found that when mice were injected with 20 micrograms of TSST-1 12 h before exposure to 1 micrograms of endotoxin, the serum endotoxin-induced TNF was 20 times as high as that found in mice exposed to endotoxin alone. Although 20 micrograms of TSST-1 did induce a maximum level of near 1 ng of TNF per ml of serum 1.5 h after exposure, the TNF concentration was greatly diminished after 5 to 6 h and was no longer detectable after 12 h. Pretreatment of mice with 20 micrograms of TSST-1 or 1 micrograms of endotoxin did not influence TNF induction by TSST-1 12 h later. Also, pretreatment of mice with 1 micrograms of endotoxin did not enhance TNF induction by endotoxin 12 h later. Enhancement was achieved only when mice were exposed to TSST-1 more than 4 h and less than 24 h before injection of endotoxin. Despite the relatively high serum TNF levels (30 to 50 ng/ml), no mortality was observed in the mice treated with both TSST and endotoxin.
Henne
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Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton 49931-1295.
Campbell
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Carlson
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D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D018089:Superantigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal