Cyt1A protein is a cytolytic protein encoded by the cyt gene of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) as part of the parasporal crystal proteins produced during the sporulation. Cyt1A protein is unique compared to the other endotoxins present in these parasporal crystals. Unlike δ-endotoxins, Cyt1A protein does not require receptors to bind to the target cell and activate the toxicity...

Selye, H. (Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada), B. Tuchweber, and L. Bertók. Effect of lead acetate on susceptibility of rats to bacterial endotoxins. J. Bacteriol. 91:884-890. 1966.-A single, normally well-tolerated, intravenous injection of lead acetate increases the sensitivity of the rat to the endotoxins of various gram-negative bacteria about 100,000 times above normal. Under the co...

A new experimental setup was developed to expose pigs to dust and airborne endotoxins in an environmental chamber, at levels liable to be encountered in pig farm buildings. The following parameters were evaluated in a chamber containing two pigs of 10 kg body-weight: inhalable and respirable dust gravimetric concentrations were measured using area samplers and expressed as mg/m3. The respirable...

An assessment of sewage workers' exposure to airborne cultivable bacteria, fungi and inhaled endotoxins was performed at 11 sewage treatment plants. We sampled the enclosed and unenclosed treatment areas in each plant and evaluated the influence of seasons (summer and winter) on bioaerosol levels. We also measured personal exposure to endotoxins of workers during special operation where a highe...

Assessment of exposure to airborne endotoxins has been studied for several years, especially in occupational environments, but a large number of procedures are used for sampling and analysis. This lack of standardization makes it very difficult to compare results and set internationally accepted threshold limit values (TLVs) or occupational exposure limits (OELs) for endotoxin exposure. This pa...

Aside from pathogenesis, bacterial toxins also have been used for medical purpose such as drugs for cancer and immune diseases. Correctly identifying bacterial toxins and their types (endotoxins and exotoxins) has great impact on the cell biology study and therapy development. However, experimental methods for bacterial toxins identification are time-consuming and labor-intensive, implying an u...

A clinical problem of increasing magnitude is the occurrence of hypotension in patients with bacteremia associated with the liberation of endotoxin from gram-negative microorganisms (1-3). Although the local vascular effects of endotoxin have been extensively studied in animals, particularly with reference to necrotizing effects on tumors (4, 5) and the Schwartzman reaction (6, 7), the hemodyna...

Lower respiratory symptoms in bakery workers may be induced by wheat flour and endotoxins. We hypothesized that endotoxins from wheat flour may stimulate innate immunity and that interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene polymorphisms may affect their regulatory role in innate immune responses to endotoxins. To investigate the genetic contribution of IL-18 to sensitization to wheat flour, we performed a gene...