HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Greisman, S. E. Articles by Young, E. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Greisman, S. E. Articles by Young, E. J.

Mechanisms of Endotoxin Tolerance

VI. Transfer of the "anamnestic" tolerant response with primed spleen cells¹

From the Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Abstract

Sieved spleen cells (3 x 10⁹) from rabbits immunized with a Biovin preparation of Escherichia coli endotoxin were capable of transferring significant "anamnestic" endotoxin-tolerant responses to non-inbred normal recipient animals. Thus, whereas the initial febrile responses of the primed spleen cell recipients to a standard dose of E. coli endotoxin remained unaltered, upon retesting 48 hr later significant reductions in febrile responses occurred in comparison with recipients given comparable numbers of spleen cells from non-immunized donors. Simple carry-over of free endotoxin by the primed spleen cells could not explain such transfer of "anamnesis" since frozen and thawed primed spleen cells were ineffective. The transferred "anamnestic" tolerance was partially specific for the endotoxin employed in immunizing the spleen cell donors, i.e., spleen cells from donors immunized with a Boivin preparation of Salmonella typhimurium transferred significantly less "anamnestic" tolerance to the standard E. coli endotoxin test preparation. These latter observations support the concept that antibodies directed against the specific "O" terminal polysaccharide side chains contribute significantly to pyrogenic tolerance to bacterial endotoxins. Despite the specificity of the transferred "anamnestic" tolerance to endotoxin, increments in circulating anti-"O" antibodies were not generally observed at 48 hr, suggesting that "O" protective antibodies at this time may be primarily cell-fixed. The smaller but nevertheless significant transfer of "anamnestic" tolerance to E. coli endotoxin conveyed by spleen cells from donors immunized with S. typhimurium endotoxin provides evidence that antibodies with broader specificity also participate in pyrogenic tolerance to bacterial endotoxin.

Footnotes

This study was supported by the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command, Contract DA-49-193-MD-2867, the United States Public Health Service, Research Grant AI-07052, and the Frank C. Bressler Research Fund.

² Recipient of Research Career Award 2-K3-HE-15,237 from the National Institutes of Health.