Persistence and in vivo e¡ects of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3 endotoxin in rats

In vivo effects of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3 lipopolysaccharide (prepared from bacteria grown at 253C and 373C) were investigated after intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intraarticular (i.a.) injection in rats during 30 days of examination. The persistence of endotoxin in the peritoneal and the synovial cavities was demonstrated by the immunofluorescence technique. Peritoneal and synovial exudative cell infiltration, as well as changes in some parameters (glycolytic and acid phosphatase activity, and killing ability of peritoneal cells ; lactate dehydrogenase concentration in synovial fluid) were studied. The results indicated that endotoxin could persist longer in the synovial than in the peritoneal cavity. ß 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.