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The influence of hyperosmolarity on superoxide production by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was examined using NaCl and urea as osmotic substances. Superoxide production was inhibited in a hyperosmotic environment produced by high concentrations of these substances with the following IC:440±75 (SD) mOsm/kg for NaCl and 660±100 for urea. In the case of NaCl, this inhibition was time-dependent and abolished at 4°C. Since PMNL pump out Na ion for maintenance of cellular volume in an energy dependent fashion, it was suggested that the inhibition of superoxide production was due to the exhaustion of energy stores. On the other hand, urea inhibition was almost immediate and remained even when preincubation was performed at 4°C. Because the transport of urea through the cell membrane is known to be energy independent, these findings suggested that urea was either an inhibitor of the NADPH oxidase or a scavenger of superoxide anion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of endotoxemia was studied in 17 patients who underwent ultrasonic lithotripsy (USL), and compared with the incidence in 11 patients who underwent transurethral resection (TUR) and in 8 patients who underwent other operations. Fourteen of 17 patients (82%) who underwent ultrasonic lithotripsy had endotoxemia. The incidence of endotoxemia after USL was significantly higher than that after TUR (9%) or after other operations (12.5%). Only 2 of the 17 patients (12%) who underwent USL had bacteremia. The organisms isolated were P. mirabilis and S. sanguis, respectively. Six of the 14 patients with endotoxemia after USL suffered high fever. These data suggest that endotoxemia is a factor which causes high fever after USL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta-D-glucan is an essential component of the cell wall of fungi. We measured its concentration in the urine of patients with funguria using the chromogenic endotoxin assay kits, Toxicolor and Endospecy. These assay systems use the same Limulus coagulation enzymes. Since the Endospecy test detects endotoxin but not factor G, which is activated by beta-D-glucan, the beta-D-glucan concentration can be calculated by subtracting the Endospecy value from the Toxicolor value. Concentrations of beta-D-glucan were found to be significantly higher in urine samples from patients with funguria (> or = 10(3) colony-forming units/ml) than in non-infected samples.