LPS receptor CD14 participates in release of TNF-a in RAW 264.7 and peritoneal cells but not in Kupffer cells

ters. LPS receptor CD14 participates in release of TNF-a in RAW 264.7 and peritoneal cells but not in Kupffer cells. Am. J. Physiol. 275 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 38): G39–G46, 1998.—Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a bacterial polymer that stimulates macrophages to release tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a). In macrophages (RAW 264.7 and peritoneal cells), LPS binds to the CD14 surface receptor as the first step toward signaling. Liver macrophages, Kupffer cells, are the most numerous fixed-tissue macrophage in the body. The presence of CD14 on Kupffer cells and its role in LPS stimulation of TNF-a were examined. TNF-a release by Kupffer cells after LPS stimulation was the same in the presence and absence of serum. RAW 264.7 and peritoneal cells, which utilize the CD14 receptor, released significantly less TNF-a after LPS stimulation in the absence of seru