Krakauer, T. and Stiles, B.G. (2003) Staphylococcal Enterotoxins, Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1, and Streptococcal Pyrogenic Exotoxins: Some Basic Biology of Bacterial Superantigens. Recent Research Developments in Infection and Immunity, 1, 1-27.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: The Akt Pathway Inhibitor Degeulin Prevents Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B Induced Splenocyte Proliferation and Inflammation

  AUTHORS: Sarah Joanne Christine Whitfield, Jane Elizabeth Risdall, Gareth Griffiths, Ethel Diane Williamson, Alun James Carter

  KEYWORDS: Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B, Deguelin, Therapy, Inflammation, Biological Weapon

  JOURNAL NAME: Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, Vol.8 No.1, January 10, 2017

  ABSTRACT: Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) is considered a potential biological weapon. It is toxic by both inhalation and ingestion. Effects of ingestion include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while inhalation may additionally result in chest pain, dyspnoea, pulmonary oedema and respiratory failure. Severe exposure may be fatal and treatment relies on symptomatic support. At a cellular level, SEB up-regulates T-cell proliferation leading to a pathological inflammatory response. Deguelin, a rotenoid isolated from the African plant Mundulea sericea (Leguminosae), has been shown to reduce cellular proliferation by inhibiting the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) signalling pathway. Using isolated murine splenocytes, we have demonstrated that treatment with deguelin reduces SEB inducing T cell proliferation by 60%. Deguelin treatment also decreased IL-2 and CCL2 secretion by splenocytes exposed to SEB. We demonstrate that targeting cellular proliferation can significantly reduce inflammation after SEB exposure and suggest that anti-proliferatives may have a role as potential generic medical counter measures if superantigens are used as biological weapons.