Anti-lipopolysaccharide activity of histatins, peptides from human saliva

Histatins are histidine-rich polypeptides secreted in human saliva. They were found to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated gelation of Limulus amoebocyte lysate, and to reverse the anti-complement action of LPS or lipid A. Histatins also gave precipitate bands in agarose gels with various LPS. The results indicate that histatins neutralized the activity of LPS by binding to the lipid A moiety of LPS.