ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effects of lipoteichoic acid(LTA)on phagocytosis of peritoneal maerophages and NO production in vitro.Methods The peritoneal macrophages that were isolated sterilely from Kunming mice were divided into two groups:co-culture with RPMI 1640,and pretreatment with dexamethasone(DEX).Then,the LTA isolated from BFA with different final concentrations(5,10,20 and 40 ug/ml) was added.After the peritoneal macrophages were cultured for 4 and 24 h,the effects of LTA on cytophagocytesis and NO production in vitro were determined respectively by using neutral red and NO assay kit.Results LTA with final concentrations of 5,10,20 and 40/μg/mL significantly promoted the phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages and production of NO(P<0.05).It also effectively antagonized the inhibitory response of DEX against peritoneal macrophages(P<0.05).The higher concentration of LTA,the stronger effect.Conclusion Not only can LTA stimulate and activate the peritoneal macrophages significantly,but also antagonize the inhibition from DEX in vitro.