Deficient LPS-responsiveness in macrophage-enriched spleen cell fractions of TLR4^−/− NOD mice.

<p>Macrophage-enriched spleen cell fractions of TLR4^+/+ (squares) and TLR4^−/− (triangles) NOD mice were cultivated in the presence of increasing concentrations of LPS (0–1000 ng/ml) (<b>a, b</b>) or, in addition, with MALP-2 (100 ng/ml) (<b>c</b>). After an incubation of 6 h and 24 h, respectively, the concentrations of accumulated TNFα and IL-6 were determined in the culture supernatants by ELISA. The data show means ± SD from determinations performed in triplicates. **<i>p</i><0.01; ***<i>p</i><0.001 compared to the corresponding data of TLR4^+/+ cells.