- About this Journal
- Abstracting and Indexing
- Aims and Scope
- Annual Issues
- Article Processing Charges
- Articles in Press
- Author Guidelines
- Bibliographic Information
- Citations to this Journal
- Contact Information
- Editorial Board
- Editorial Workflow
- Free eTOC Alerts
- Publication Ethics
- Reviewers Acknowledgment
- Submit a Manuscript
- Subscription Information
- Table of Contents
Mediators of Inflammation
Volume 2 (1993), Issue 7, Pages S11-S16
doi:10.1155/S0962935193000687
Bacterial endotoxins: biological properties and mechanisms of action
Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Stübeweg 51, Freiburg 7800, Germany
Copyright © 1993 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) are agents of pathogenicity of Gram-negative bacteria, implicated in the development of Gram-negative shock. Endotoxin reacts with lipopolysaccharide-sensitive cells producing endogenous mediators such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Macrophages are cells mediating the toxic activities of LPS and TNFα is the primary mediator of the lethal action of endotoxin. This review article discusses the various mechanisms by which endotoxin hypersensitivity in bacteria-sensitized animals develops. The paper concludes with a discussion on the possible protective effect of carnitine congeners against the lethal action of LPS.