Lipid X (2,3-diacylglucosamine-1-phosphate) is a novel
monosaccharide precursor of
lipid A that has some of the physiologic activities of
endotoxin but little toxicity. To determine whether
lipid X would interfere with the toxic effects of
endotoxin, we pretreated sheep with either 100 or 200 micrograms of
lipid X per kg of
body weight and then challenged them with a potentially fatal dose of
Escherichia coli endotoxin (20 micrograms/kg). Twenty-one sheep underwent pulmonary artery catheterization and were monitored for changes in pulmonary artery pressure, temperature, pH, partial O2 pressure, partial CO2 pressure, blood pressure, and cell counts over 7 h. Overall mortality for control animals was 37% versus 5.3% for pretreated animals. None of the 13 animals pretreated with 100 micrograms of
lipid X per kg died. These differences in survival were significant (P less than 0.05). Animals pretreated with 100 micrograms of
lipid X per kg had significantly lower pulmonary artery pressure during both phases 1 and 2 of
endotoxin-induced pulmonary artery
hypertension. A higher dose of
lipid X, 200 micrograms/kg, produced
pulmonary hypertension. Perhaps because
lipid X is a subunit of
lipid A,
lipid X shows a partial pyrogenic effect while also decreasing the pyrogenic activity of complete
lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Lipid X did not prevent
endotoxin-induced
neutropenia or moderate
hypotension in response to LPS.
Lipid X is a potential prototype compound for a new type of
chemotherapy directed at blocking the harmful effects of LPS during bacterial
septicemia.