Production of TNF-a by Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Leptospira interrogans in isolated rat Kupffer cells.

Stimulation of isolated rat Kupffer cells by viable Leptospira interrogans, Treponema pallidum and Borrelia garinii elicited cellular response resulting in the release of different tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) levels, depending on the spirochetes. L. interrogans induced TNF- levels higher than those achieved with, in the order, B. garinii and T.pallidum, but lower than the levels achieved with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In contrast with L. interrogans, pretreatment of borreliae and treponemes with polymyxin B did not substantially diminish the ability of B. garinii and T. pallidum to stimulate Kupffer cells. Purified T. pallidum lipoproteins TpN47, TmpA, TpN15- TpN17, and B. gariniii OspA induced TNF- response comparable to that achieved by LPS. This response was almost insensitive to the action of polymyxin B.