Following standard protocols18 20 conducted
in accordance with institutional guidelines,female Lewis rats (Harlan,Indianapolis,IN)were administered asingle ip injection of vehicle (normalsaline) or peptidoglycan-polysaccharide polymers (25 íg
rhamnose/g body weight) isolated from the sonicated cell wall of Group
A Streptococcus pyogenes (LeeLaboratories,Grayson,GA).