Lipopolysaccharides ofBrucella abortusandBrucella melitensisInduce Nitric Oxide Synthesis in Rat Peritoneal Macrophages

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Abstract
Smooth lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS) and lipid A ofBrucella abortusandBrucella melitensisinduced the production of nitric oxide (NO) by rat adherent peritoneal cells, but they induced lower levels of production of NO thanEscherichia coliLPS. The participation of the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) was confirmed by the finding of an increased expression of both iNOS mRNA and iNOS protein. These observations might help to explain (i) the acute outcome ofBrucellainfection in rodents, (ii) the low frequency of septic shock in human brucellosis, and (iii) the prolonged intracellular survival ofBrucellain humans.