DEOXYSPERGUALIN NEITHER COUNTERACTS LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE (LPS) OR STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS ENTEROTOXIN-B (SEB) INDUCED LETHALITY IN MICE NOR DOES IT MODULATE THE RELEASE OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA

To gain further insights into the immunopharmacological mode of action of the immunosuppressant antibiotic deoxyspergualin (DSP), its effect s were evaluated in murine lethal endo- and exotoxemia. These are two cytokine-mediated macrophage and T cell dependent immunoinflammatory c onditions that can be induced in D-Galactosamine (D-Gal) presensitized mice by the injections with either LPS or SEB, respectively. The resu lts show that prophylactic treatment with DSP (2.5 or 5 mg/kg bd.wt. 4 8, 24 and 2 h prior to challenge) neither improved the rate of surviva l, nor influenced the massive increase in the blood levels of tumor ne crosis factor-alpha which followed the challenge with LPS or SEB. In s harp contrast, these clinical and seroimmunological events were both m arkedly counteracted by prophylactic treatment with sodium fusidate, a nother immunosuppressive agent used as control. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.