Deoxyspergualin neither counteracts lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-B (SEB) induced lethality in mice nor does it modulate the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

To gain further insights into the immunopharmacological mode of action of the immunosuppressant antibiotic deoxyspergualin (DSP), its effects were evaluated in murine lethal endo- and exotoxemia. These are two cytokine-mediated macrophage and T cell dependent immunoinflammatory conditions that can be induced in D-Galactosamine (D-Gal) presensitized mice by the injections with either LPS or SEB, respectively. The results show that prophylactic treatment with DSP (2.5 or 5 mg/kg bd.wt. 48, 24 and 2 h prior to challenge) neither improved the rate of survival, nor influenced the massive increase in the blood levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha which followed the challenge with LPS or SEB. In sharp contrast, these clinical and seroimmunological events were both markedly counteracted by prophylactic treatment with sodium fusidate, another immunosuppressive agent used as control.