title: Virulence of ureaplasmal urease for mice.
abstract: Ureaplasmas killed mice within 5 min after intravenous injection. The 50% lethal dose of whole ureaplasmal organisms was 32 micrograms per mouse, a value also found for crystalline jackbean urease. The reaction was specific to urease, since protection was afforded by intraperitoneal injection of 200 micrograms of flurofamide, a potent urease inhibitor. The finding that a similar lethal effect was produced by injection of 200 mumol of NH4+ indicates that the toxicity of urease is mediated by ammonium ions or free ammonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Ligon
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D014509:Ureaplasma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014510:Urease / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; C032764:flurofamide; D014510:Urease