Interaction of Lipopolysaccharides with Mitochondria. II. Effects of Magnesium Ions on Toxicity of a Rough Lipopolysaccharide

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Abstract
A lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from a rough variant of Salmonella typhimurium inhibited the state 3 respiration rate and respiratory control of rat liver mitochondria (RLM). These effects were not observed in the presence of 12.5 mM MgCl2. Magnesium-treated LPS was greatly reduced in toxicity, and subsequent dialysis against EDTA converted the vesicular structure of the LPS to a nontoxic population of threadlike molecules. Dialysis of untreated LPS against increasing concentrations of EDTA resulted in decreased toxicity for RLM. The results show that magnesium can protect mitochondria against LPS and can alter the toxicity of LPS.