Enhanced Toxicity for Mice of Combinations of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide and Vincristine

Sublethal doses of vincristine (VNC) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered simultaneously to adult male mice resulted in markedly enhanced mortality. All of 10 strains ofPseudomonas aeruginosa tested, 4 of 7 strains ofBacteroides , and 6 of 10 strains ofListeria monocytogenes were able to substitute for purified LPS in enhancing mortality in VNC-treated mice. Inoculation of mice with each of 10 strains ofPseudomonas , each of 7 strains ofBacteroides , and about half of the 10 strains ofListeria tested elicited increased resistance to the lethal action of purified LPS. The patterns of responses of mice receiving a lethal combination of 2 mg of LPS/kg and 1 mg of VNC/kg resembled those of mice receiving a lethal dose of 10 mg of VNC/kg alone or 15 mg of LPS/kg alone with respect to (i) serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase activity, (ii) hematocrit values, and (iii) thrombocytopenia. The patterns of responses of mice receiving a lethal combination of LPS and VNC resembled those of mice receiving a lethal dose of LPS alone with respect to (i) hypothermia, (ii) retention of sulfobromophthalein, (iii) fibrinogen level, (iv) prothrombin activity, (v) blood urea nitrogen levels, and (vi) time of death. These data are consistent with the proposition that the combination of VNC and LPS produces a fatal renal failure. Histological studies confirmed that there was extensive renal damage in mice treated with lethal doses of LPS alone or a lethal combination of LPS and VNC.