Interferon-gamma and polyunsaturated fatty acids increase the binding of lipopolysaccharide to macrophages.

We have previously shown that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) increases the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of membrane phospholipids in cells that were sensitive to endotoxin. In this study, IFN-gamma was found to stimulate the binding of endotoxin to the murine macrophage cell line J774.2 and the human monocyte cell line U937. Interferon-gamma-activated J774.2 cells showed a 66% increase in fluoresceine isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled LPS binding (P < 0.0005 vs control cells) and a 49% increase in tritium labelled LPS binding (P < 0.0001 vs control cells). Interferon-gamma also induced a 35% increase in binding of FITC-LPS in U937 cells (P < 0.0001 vs control cells). In contrast, pretreatment of J774.2 cells with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) had no effect on binding of FITC-LPS. Preincubation with exogenously supplied polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and arachidonic acids, resulted in increases of 74% and 69% in FITC-LPS binding, respectively (both P < 0.0005 vs control cells). On the other hand, pretreatment with the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, had no effect on FITC-LPS binding. We propose that IFN-gamma-induced changes in the membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition of macrophage-like cells influence the binding of endotoxin.