Sensitivity of Thorotrast-Treated Monkeys to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Monkeys pretreated with stabilized colloidal thorium dioxide (Thorotrast) are more sensitive to the emetic action of intragastrically administered staphylococcal enterotoxin. The amounts required to elicit vomiting in 50% of the animals tested was reduced to about one-twentieth of that required for untreated monkeys when Thorotrast was given 18 hours before the enterotoxin challenge. The degree of sensitization was the same for both of the 2 different antigenic types of enterotoxin tested. Fresh blood was observed in the vomitus when the interval between Thorotrast and enterotoxin was reduced to 4 hours.