Lysosomal enzyme studies after endotoxin administration in normothermia and hypothermia.

The LD50 dose of endotoxin results in a considerable increase in the plasma level of acidic phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase. The endotoxin decreases the quantity of gamma-globulin fraction of sera as an effect of neutral lysosomal proteases. In hypothermic rabbits the activity of lysosomal enzymes is increased only slightly after administration of endotoxin and the change in the gamma-globulin level is also more less than in the normothermic animals. The importance of our results in the pathogenesis of inflammation induced by endotoxin is discussed.