HYPOTHERMIA AND BACTERIAL TOXINS 



temperature to 31° C." 



The above results could at least partially be due to a slower 

 fixation of the toxin to susceptible cells in hypothermic animals. 

 Therefore, new experiments were set up in order to find out if 

 hypothermia prolonged the time during which the toxin remained 

 free to be neutralized by antitoxin. 



5 mic» 

 3 •• 



6 mic» 



^antitoxin af l»r 15 min. 

 ■■^IH^HHB .'MEAN 



Smict 



b mice 



S mice 



"f onti toxin after 4 hours 



MEAN 



f antitoxin after 4 hours 

 MEAN 



'\ antitoxin after 10 hours 

 -^^mm ! MEAN 



■7 



- survlv ed 



n fil 24 36 46 60 72 84 



antitoxin of terio hours 



TOXIN 



96 108 hours 



survival time 



Figure 3. Survival times in mice given one MLD^JQ of tetanus toxin and, after Inter- 

 vals of 15 minutes, 4 hours and 10 hours, one neutralizing dose of antitoxin. White parts 

 of columns mark period of hypothermia, induced two hours after the toxin injection 

 and maintained for two or eight hours. 



The results of one experiment are reported in Fig. 3. In all, 

 35 mice were given one MLD^qq subcutaneously. They were allotted 

 to three groups containing 11, 12, and 12 animals respectively. In 

 the first group, one neutralizing dose of antitoxin was given, also 

 subcutaneously, 15 minutes after the toxin injection. About 1-1/2 



139 



