Endotoxin Detoxification by Guinea Pig Tissue Homogenates and Possible Significance of This Reaction in vivo

Summary

Homogenates of guinea pig liver, spleen, kidney and (to a lesser degree) heart are capable of detoxifying bacterial endotoxin in vitro. Since only the liver and spleen appear to remove significant amounts of endotoxin from the circulation, these two organs would seem to be the ones in which the in-activation process might be of some physiological significance in vivo. Previous studies suggested that the liver may have an important function in the inactivation of endotoxin which gains access to the body. The experiments reported herein are consistent with this hypothesis, but provide no evidence that the spleen plays any significant role in the response of either normal guinea pigs or those with liver damage to administration of endotoxin.

I am indebted to S. B. Formal for many valuable suggestions, and to J. G. Watson, S. Austin and A. L. Fisher, Jr., for excellent technical assistance.