A Toxic Factor in Leptospira pomona

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Abstract
A toxic factor(s) was demonstrated in living and disrupted L. pomona and in the supernatant fluids of cultures by alterations in the permeability of guinea pig peritoneal macrophages; the supernatant fluids also inhibited the uptake of oxygen by porcine kidney cells. Virulent and avirulent L. pomona were equally toxic. The soluble toxic factor was nondialy-zable and thermolabile; it was not specifically neutralized by antiserum. Like most pathogenic micro-organisms, leptospires are toxic, but toxigenicity is not distinctive to virulent organisms.