Differential responses to adjuvants of macrophages from young virgin, aging virgin and aging breeder mice.

Age related differences in macrophage responsiveness to adjuvants seen previously with thioglycollate induced cells were also found with resident macrophages. Thus, activation of phagocytosis by lipopolysaccharide, polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid complexes and muramyl dipeptides occurred when exposed to macrophages removed from young but not aging C58 and C3H/He mice. However, breeding status differences were observed in that aging virgin mice were unresponsive to these adjuvants, while aging breeder mice responded similarly to young virgin mice. Analysis of any changes in membrane phospholipids was carried out to determine their association with the age related and breeding status differences observed. Significant differences occurred in 32P labelling of phosphatidyl inositol between unstimulated macrophages from young and aging C58 mice. No differences were evident, however, after LPS stimulation. Analysis of macrophage plasma membranes from young and aging mice for cholesterol revealed significant age related differences in their ability to undergo increases in cholesterol content after LPS activation.