Correlation of temperature and toxicity in murine studies of staphylococcal enterotoxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1

This study describes a quick (<12 h) assay for detecting temperature decrea ses in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with staph ylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), SEE, or SEC3 or toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 and a potentiating dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Toxin-specific antise ra effectively neutralized the temperature fluctuations in this model. Oral ly administered SEA or SEE (50 mu g/animal), with or without LPS, did not h ave an effect on temperature or lethality. Versus wild-type mice, transgeni c knockout mice lacking the p55 receptor for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or gamma interferon were protected against an i.p. challenge of SEA plus LPS. The p75 receptor for TNF and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 have a negl igible role in this toxic shock model.