Endotoxins are compounds found in the cell walls of Gram negative bacteria that cause health problems in people and animals when released after the bacteria die. They can resist sterilization methods and cause inflammatory processes, but can be identified through blood tests and removed from cultures in the laboratory.
Endotoxins are compounds present in the cell walls of Gram negative bacteria. These compounds help form a semipermeable membrane designed to protect bacteria from threats. Once the bacteria die, endotoxins are released and many of these toxins cause health problems in people, animals and other organisms, hence the “toxin” in their name.
These toxins are separate from the exotoxins that are regularly secreted by some bacteria throughout their life. Exotoxin-producing bacteria can make hosts sick while still alive with their toxins, while toxins in endotoxic bacteria only become a problem after the organism dies. Classically, endotoxins cause inflammatory processes, which can lead to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in white blood cell counts, and hypertension.
When bacteria with endotoxins begin to multiply in a host, the host usually responds by sending representatives of the immune system to kill or neutralize the bacteria. Ironically, killing bacteria is what actually makes them dangerous, although even without an immune response, endotoxins would be released as the bacteria go about their lives. Often, the body has a hard time dealing with toxins, because they are unfamiliar to it.
Many endoxotins come in the form of lipopolysaccharides, although other chemical compounds can also appear. These toxins can become a serious problem following a bacterial infection or when bacteria contaminate drugs, food and laboratory samples, because the toxins tend to resist heat and many other sterilization methods. Consequently, when someone consumes a product contaminated with bacteria that contain endotoxins, he or she can become ill.
The presence of endotoxins in the body can usually be identified through blood tests that check for signs of infection, and it is also possible to look for specific toxins. Usually, toxins need to be allowed to run their course through the body, with supportive therapy for the patient to strengthen the immune system and keep the body as healthy as possible. In situations where endotoxins have contaminated food, drugs, and other products, it may be necessary to discard the product, although some toxins are susceptible to heating, radiation, and other measures that can be used to break down the toxins so they are not dangerous .
In situations where people want to work with bacteria that contain endotoxins in the laboratory, an endotoxin removal technique can be used to bind to the toxins and remove them from the culture. This can be particularly important in the production of biopharmaceuticals, drugs produced by living organisms such as bacteria.
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