The relationship of aging to endotoxin shock and to production of TNF-alpha

Background. Aged people are considered prone to gram-negative bacteremia and septic shock. This relationship was tested in murine endotoxin shock. Methods. Balb/c mice of various ages (1.4-13.4 months) were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and rates of survival were observed. The production of TNF-alpha in vivo induced by LPS was measured. Results. The survival rates were the smallest in the oldest and youngest groups. Production of TNF-alpha attained a maximum at 2 h after LPS injection and was smaller in the oldest group; it had a reciprocal relationship to survival rates in each group except the youngest group. Conclusion. Old and young mice had smaller rates of survival and greater production of TNF-alpha following endotoxin shock induced by LPS.