Increased nitric oxide (NO) production by inducible NO synthase (NOS2), an obligate homodimer, is implicated in the cardiovascular sequelae of sepsis. We tested the ability of a highly-selective NOS2 dimerization inhibitor (BBS-2) to prevent endotoxin-induced systemic hypotension, myocardial dysfunction, and impaired hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) in mice. Mice were challenged with Es...

Deionized water was spiked with various concentrations of endotoxin and exposed to UV irradiation from medium-pressure UV lamps to assess endotoxin inactivation. It was found that endotoxin inactivation was proportional to the UV dose under the conditions examined. The inactivation rate was determined to be approximately 0.55 endotoxin unit/ml per mJ/cm(2) of irradiation delivered.

This paper describes an exploratory study of endotoxin emissions and dispersal from a commercial composting facility. Replicated samples of air were taken by filtration at different locations around the facility on 10 occasions. Measurements were made of endotoxin and associated culturable microorganisms. The inflammatory response of cell cultures exposed to extracts from the filters was measur...

The specificity of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(s) is thought to depend on the specificity of the antibody used in the assay system. Therefore, the association of broadly reactive antigens like endotoxin with enzyme conjugates or other enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reagents has the potential of altering the specificity of reactions in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Using th...

The purpose of this study was to determine whether endotoxin decreased hepatic glucocorticoid binding by the action of mediator(s). Steroid binding in liver cytosol, plasma glucose levels, and plasma corticosterone levels were assayed in C3HeB/FeJ LPS normoresponsive and C3H/HeJ LPS hyporesponsive mice. In C3HeB/FeJ mice, endotoxin significantly depressed the maximum number of steroid binding s...

Several studies describe indoor pollutant exposure in homes and to a lesser extent in schools. Population studies that include both environments are sparse. This study aims to assess endotoxin levels in primary schools and homes of children. Endotoxin was also studied in relation to asthma and sensitisation. 10 schools with (index) and without (reference) dampness were selected, based on report...

*Tatro, JM;*Goldberg, VM; **Stewart, MC; +*Greenfield, EM *Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH; ** Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL [email protected] INTRODUCTION: Many laboratories have shown that bacterial endotoxin increases the biological responses induced by orthopaedic wear particles [1]. For examp...

The pyrogen test or the endotoxin test has been playing a crucial role in detecting endotoxin in parenteral drugs. The current test methods, however, have disadvantages such as requiring a relatively high number of animals or an inadequacy in direct evaluation of in vivo activity. We made an attempt to establish a new in vitro assay method that can overcome the shortcomings of the current assay...

A collaborative study, initiated under the auspices of the Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA), was designed to establish the relationship of Escherichia coli O55:B5 endotoxin (the control standard endotoxin of HIMA and the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Medical Devices) to the U.S. National Reference Standard Endotoxin and to two internationally used control standard end...

BACKGROUND Sepsis can be complicated by severe myocardial dysfunction and is associated with increased nitric oxide (NO) production by inducible NO synthase (NOS2). To investigate the role of NOS2 in endotoxin-induced myocardial dysfunction in vivo, we studied wild-type and NOS2-deficient mice. METHODS AND RESULTS Serial echocardiographic parameters of myocardial function were measured before...