Lipopolysaccharide structure-function relationship in activation versus reprogramming of mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most potent stimuli for macrophages. The activities of LPS have been attributed to the lipid A region of the molecule. We have previously shown that pretreatment of macrophages with very low doses of LPS can selectively "reprogram" these cells to respond differentially to subsequent activation, as assessed by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide (NO) production. Here we demonstrate that the relative capacity of various LPS preparations for induction of down-regulation of subsequent LPS-activated NO production correlates well with their relative potency for initiation of NO formation. Although LPS-dependent activation can be regulated by pertussis toxin (PT)-sensitive factor, the LPS pretreatment-induced reprogramming is shown here to be refractory to regulation by PT. These results suggest that, although the structural components of LPS dictating the relative activities of the molecule for activation versus reprogramming are similar, there may exist different pathways in initiation of LPS-induced activation versus reprogramming.