The effect of lethal anthrax toxin on the functional activity of peritoneal mononuclear phagocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils in mice

: The mixture of purified protective antigen (PA) and the lethal factor (LF) of B. anthracis exotoxin in a dose incapable of causing cell damage inhibited the zymosan-stimulated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of mononuclear phagocytes (MP) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in CBA mice and enhanced the chemiluminescence of PMN in BALB/c, CC57W and A/Sn mice. The conclusion is made that the capacity of mixture of PA and LF for the in vitro inhibition of stimulated production of active forms of oxygen in MP and PMN is directly related to the in vivo immunosuppressing activity of B. anthracis toxin. But the influence of the mixture of PA and LF on the production of active forms of oxygen in MP and PMN is not the leading factor of natural immunity to B. anthracis infection in mice.