Differential feeding responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide and muramyl dipeptide

The present study was designed to test whether a tolerance to the hypophagic effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and muramyl dipeptide (MDP) develops with repeated injections in rats and whether a relationship between the hypophagic effects of both compounds exists. Only the first of three subsequent intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100 micrograms/kg body wt each), given every 2nd day, led to a significant reduction of food intake. In contrast, MDP (1.6 mg/kg body wt) did not lose its hypophagic effect with four subsequent intraperitoneal injections. Furthermore, the LPS tolerance did not alter the hypophagic response to subsequently injected MDP. Likewise, MDP pretreatment did not alter the hypophagic response to LPS. Doses of MDP and LPS that were individually below the threshold for a reliable reduction of food intake (0.4 mg MDP/kg body wt + 25 micrograms LPS/kg body wt) reduced food intake synergistically when injected together. The hypophagia produced by combined injections of MDP plus LPS slowly diminished with repeated injections. The results indicate that separate but interacting mechanisms are involved in the feeding responses to MDP and LPS. The observed synergism between MDP and LPS suggests a synergistic role of bacterial muramyl peptides and LPS in the anorexia during bacterial infections.