Interactions between bacterial pyrogen and proteolipid extracted from the cerebrum (I).

As proteolipid of the myelin sheath and its parent glial membrane may possible interact with bacterial pyrogen (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) during penetration into the brain, we investigated the interaction of LPS with proteolipid derived from the cerebrum of rabbits, rats and chickens. Intravenous administration of LPS (1 microgram/kg) produced a febrile response in rabbits, but not in rats and chickens. Marked hyperthermia was observed in these three species after intracisternal administration of LPS (0.01-0.1 microgram/kg). Dinitrophenol (30 mg/kg s.c.) induced a high fever in these three species tested, particularly in the chickens. The pyrogenicity of LPS given intravenously to rabbits was inactivated by incubation of LPS with proteolipid in vitro. Inactivation effects of proteolipid extracted from the three species was in the order of: chickens, rats and rabbits. In rats, the inactivation effects of proteolipid from the adult animal were more potent than in the case of newborn animals. The febrile response induced by dinitrophenol and leucocytic pyrogen in rabbits, however, was not suppressed by incubation with proteolipid extracted from the rabbit brain. These results suggest that proteolipids do play an important role in the mechanism of penetration of LPS into the brain.