lipid-a and Hypothermia

Mice responded to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with a dose-dependent, monophasic hypothermia reaching a maximum at 2 h postinjection. Degraded polysaccharide was not active; free lipid A, however, induced a similar pattern of hypothermia, indicating that the hypothermic principle of LPS was embedded within the lipid A component. The hypothermic response of mice to LPS was modified by prior exposure of the host to LPS. This altered reactivity was manifested by refractory periods (early and late tolerance), in which animals no longer responded with hypothermia, or a hyperreactive phase (hypersensitivity), in which hypothermic responses were greatly augmented upon LPS challenge. Thus, tolerance observed 24 h after a single injection of LPS (early tolerance) was followed, on further LPS challenge, by an enhanced hypothermic responses reaching a maximum on day 4. Further daily exposure of the animals to LPS eliminated hyperreactivity and led to the establishment of a late tolerance maximally expressed on day 8. Hyperreactivity could also be evoked on day 4 after a single injection of LPS. Mice pretreated with Salmonella S- and R-form LPS or free lipid A (Salmonella) demonstrated tolerance and hyperreactivity to both homologous and heterologous challenge. In addition, complete cross-tolerance was observed with S-form LPS derived from Shigella. It was concluded that the differential effects of LPS on host responses (tolerance and hyperreactivity) were due to lipid A.

Topics: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Hypersensitivity; Drug Tolerance; Female; Hypothermia; Lipid A; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Salmonella; Species Specificity

Mice pretreated (day 0) by a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) responded with hypothermic tolerance to (LPS) challenge on day 1 and with hypothermic hyperreactivity to LPS challenge on day 4. Reciprocally, mice pretreated similarly but with a higher challenge dose were hyperreactive with respect to LPS lethality on day 1, but highly tolerant to lethality when challenged on day 4. Hyperreactivity to LPS lethality (day 1) was evident from an accelerated onset of death as well as from a reduced 50% lethal dose in pretreated mice, the level of hyperreactivity being more pronounced with higher LPS pretreatment doses. Lethal hyperreactivity, however, was only seen after challenge with a 50% lethal dose of soluble LPS. In contrast, protection to lethality occurred after challenge with a 50% lethal dose of insoluble LPS (day 1). Tolerance to LPS lethality in mice was observed on day 4 after pretreatment with one (day 0) or four daily injections of LPS. Since reciprocal hyperreactivity (day 1) and cross-tolerance to lethality (day 4) could be achieved by treatment with Salmonella smooth- or rough-form LPS as well as with free lipid A, it was concluded that lipid A represents the active principle of LPS in inducing both hyperreactivity and tolerance to the lethal effect of LPS.

Topics: Animals; Cross Reactions; Drug Hypersensitivity; Drug Tolerance; Female; Hypothermia; Kinetics; Lethal Dose 50; Lipid A; Lipopolysaccharides; Mice; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Rabbits; Salmonella