Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) potentiates hydrogen peroxide toxicity in T98G astrocytoma cells by suppression of anti-oxidative and growth factor gene expression

Background Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria with proved role in pathogenesis of sepsis. Brain injury was observed with both patients dead from sepsis and animal septic models. However, in vitro administration of LPS has not shown obvious cell damage to astrocytes and other relative cell lines while it does cause endothelial cell death in vitro. These observations make it difficult to understand the role of LPS in brain parenchymal injury.