title: Endotoxic activity in faeces of mice from different microbiological environments.
abstract: Chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) tests were evaluated for measuring endotoxic activity in faeces of mice from different microbiological environments. Faeces of BALB/c mice from germ-free (GF), specific-pathogen-free (SPF) and conventional (CV) colonies had no inhibitory activity on the test reaction. GF and SPF faeces had heat-labile non-specific amidase activity which gave false-positive reaction, while CV did not. GF faeces had a heat-stable non-endotoxic effect on the LAL system. Average endotoxin levels in faeces of GF, SPF and CV mice were 0.2, 0.8 and 17 to 24 micrograms/g wet weight, respectively. Results suggest that the microbiological status of mice influences not only the faecal endotoxin level but also the specificity of the test reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mishima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyaji
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsuoka
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008033:Limulus Test; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D000581:Amidohydrolases