title: Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Toxic Shock Syndrome in Rabbits.
abstract: Enhancement of susceptibility to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) is a defining characteristic of Staphylococcus aureus superantigens. At the time of this publication, there are 24 identified staphylococcal superantigens (SAgs), some of which have yet to be fully characterized. Testing the capacity of superantigens to potentiate LPS sensitivity is essential to characterize the role of these proteins in disease development. Here we describe how to perform studies of the enhancement of LPS-induced toxic shock syndrome in rabbits. This protocol also provides information on a second important activity of superantigens: the production of fever.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Bowen Science Building 3-403, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Stach
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Bowen Science Building 3-403, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. patrick-schlievert@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlievert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D018089:Superantigens
keywords: Endotoxin enhancement; LPS-induced toxic shock syndrome; Staphylococcus aureus; Superantigens