| Popis: |
The influence, at a metabolic level, of inert, nonmetabolizable, RE-active, colloidal materials was investigated in relation to endotoxin poisoning in mice. Repeated injections of glucan or zymosan increased RE activity and sensitized mice to endotoxin lethality. The liver TO activity was normal after treatment with either colloid but liver pyridine nucleotide (PN+) levels were depleted. Cortisone induced liver TO, and increased liver PN+ levels, in zymosan or glucan pretreated mice, and it protected such animals against the lethal effects of endotoxin. Such observations are consistent with the view that a cause and effect relationship may exist between hormone induction of selected hepatic enzymes and survival against stress. Since zymosan and glucan share many properties in common with endotoxin the possibility was considered that the colloids are contaminated with the toxin. This was not substantiated when it was shown that purposeful contamination of zymosan with 0.01 LD50 of endotoxin yielded results distinct from those obtained with the colloidal agent alone. These and other observations suggest a metabolic relationship between RE response and the behaviour of selected inducible liver enzymes. |
