Endotoxin-induced human and porcine leucocyte reactions in vitro

Abstract

Tube migration of a fixed number of PMN cells in plasma (5×10⁹ cells/1) was approximately reduced by 50% when 1 ml of cell suspension was exposed to 20 μg E. coli endotoxin in 100 μl NaCl for 2 hours. Procoagulant activity in monocytes increased approximately eight-fold when 1 ml of whole blood was exposed to 2 ng endotoxin in 10 μl NaCl for 2 hours. Chemiluminescence in both PMN cells (5×10⁹ cells/1) and mononuclear cells (2×10⁹ cells/1) in plasma was markedly increased when 100 μl cell suspension was added to 100 μl Luminol®, exposed to 20 μg endotoxin in 100 μl NaCl and tested immediately. Decreased lysosomal enzyme levels in PMN and mononuclear cells were demonstrated when 1 ml cells in plasma (the same cell numbers as aforementioned) were incubated for 4 hours at 37 °C with 200 μg endotoxin in 100 μl NaCl. Similar results were obtained in human and porcine leucocytes, making the pig a suitable animal for studies of humoral and cellular reactions to infectious complications following trauma and major surgery.

Key Words:

• chemiluminescence
• endotoxin
• leucocytes
• lysosomal enzymes
• thromboplastin synthesis
• tube migration