Abstract
Summary and conclusions
Brucella endo-toxin was administered intravenously to groups of mice and survival rates were recorded at 24 and 48 hours post-injection. The effect of a synthetic polymer on such survival rates was evaluated in 2 genetically different populations of mice—ABC mice (hybrids of the A and C stocks) and DBC mice (obtained by mating DIFj hybrids to the D stock). The polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used, in the form of Periston N (PVPN), having a molecular weight about 12,600. The mortality rates induced by endotoxin were modified favorably by PVPN in ABC mice, but not in DBC mice. It may be concluded that PVPN beneficially influences survival from Brucella endotoxin in at least one population of hybrid mice. The observation that another population of mice did not gain appreciable benefit from the same dose of PVPN may deserve further studies aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of host response to this agent.
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