Phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C and D in stimulation of RAW264.7 mouse macrophage-like cells by lipopolysaccharide.

The purpose of these studies was to identify the role of phospholipases in the activation of macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D609), an inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC); butanol, an inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine phospholipase D (PC-PLD); and propranolol, an inhibitor of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, were used in the study. Treatment of RAW264.7 murine macrophage-like cells with LPS resulted in expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-α. The expression was partially inhibited by D609, butanol, or propranolol and was completely blocked by the combination of D609 and butanol. RAW264.7 cells constitutively produced low basal levels of diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid; production of both was significantly increased after stimulation with LPS, reaching a peak in 2–3 min and remaining elevated after 30 min. In LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, diacylglycerol was suppressed by each of the three inhibitors alone and almost abolished by D609 plus butanol or D609 plus propranolol. Phosphatidic acid was reduced to basal level by butanol after LPS stimulation for 2.5 min and by butanol plus D609 after LPS stimulation for 2.5 or 10 min. Taken together, these data indicate that activation of RAW264.7 cells by LPS can be mediated by the activities of both PC-PLC and PC-PLD.