[Oxygen-dependent influence of lipopolysaccharide endotoxin on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (author's transl)]

In in vitro experiments the effect of bacterial endotoxin (Lipopolysaccharide E. coli O 26 :B 6) on the ingestion, NBT reduction, and the formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the atmosphere of 21 vol-% O2 and 99.9 vol-% N2, respectively, was tested. High concentrations of endotoxin in O2-atmosphere cause an inhibition of the functions and a stimulation of vacuole formation, N2 atmosphere shows these effects of endotoxin on the ingestion and vacuole formation, if at all, in a lesser degree. These results show that endotoxin in high concentrations possibly causes an auto-oxidation of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes. This interpretation of the results is in accord with findings of other authors.