[Studies on acute toxicity and serum level changes of tumor necrosis factor]

BALB/C female mice were given different dosages of TNF in 0.1 ml sterile PBS containing 1% human serum albumin. Control mice were injected with PBS and human albumin alone. Autopsy examination was carried out and blood biochemistry studied. The results showed that the LD50 was 6 X 10(7) mu/kg. There were serious hyperemia and inflammation of the organs of dead mice, while other smaller dosages of TNF caused acute toxicity of different degrees, except for the 3 X 10(6) mu/kg dosage. Changes of alkaline phosphatase were significant compared with control. Blood sugar increases correlated with the TNF dosage. Changes of GPT and BUN were insignificant. TNF levels in the sera of humans and rabbits were also studied following TNF injection. The serum level of TNF decreased rather quickly in both animals and patients: about 85% of TNF was lost within 5 min after TNF injection, and no TNF could be detected 6 hrs after injection.