Endotoxin -- Assay of Endotoxin by Limulus Amebocyte Lysate -- Preparation of Endotoxin from Pathogenic Gram-Negative Bacteria -- Assay of Anti-Endotoxin Antibodies -- Isolation of the Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein from Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes by Reversible Binding to Target Bacteria -- Purification of Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein -- Other Bacterial Products -- Purification of Streptococcal Pyrogenic Exotoxin A -- Assay for Superantigens -- Cytokines -- Bioassay for Tumor Necrosis Factors-? and ? -- Assay of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors -- Whole-Blood Assays for Cytokine Production -- Nitric Oxide and Other Reactive Nitrogen Intermediates -- Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors -- In Situ Detection of Nitric Oxide -- Immunochemical Detection of Nitric Oxide Synthase in Human Tissue -- Anti-Nitrotyrosine Antibodies for Immunohistochemistry -- Detection of Peroxynitrite in Biological Fluids -- Cell Culture Techniques -- Myocardial Cells in Culture to Study Effects of Cytokines -- Culture of Primary Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells -- Primary Culture of Human Proximal Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells.

In Septic Shock Methods and Protocols, an interdisciplinary panel of expert investigators describe proven methods for investigating the often deadly mechanisms of septic shock. Drawing on insights from a wide variety of fields-ranging from molecular and cellular biology to the physiological measurement of whole animals-these experienced laboratorians detail the most important techniques for studying sepsis involving endotoxins, toxins derived from gram-positive organisms, cytokines, nitric oxide and other reactive nitrogen intermediates, and the use of primary cell cultures. They also treat a number of significant techniques that are not well described in the literature, including the Limulus endotoxin assay, the bioassay of TNF, the purification of bacterial endotoxin and superantigens, and the culture of primary human cells. Multidisciplinary and state-of-the-art, Septic Shock Methods and Protocols offers both experimental and clinical investigators a gold-standard collection of key methods for illuminating the basic pathophysiological processes that occur following infection. Its readily reproducible methods will allow both newcomers and those with more experience to apply today's powerful techniques successfully in their work.