LPS suppresses expression of asialoglycoprotein-binding protein through TLR4 in thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages

Macrophages are known to express various types of endocytosis receptors that mediate the removal of foreign pathogens. Macrophage asialoglycoprotein-binding protein (M-ASGP-BP) is a Gal/GalNAc-specific lectin, which functions as an endocytosis receptor. We found here that LPS is able to down-regulate the mRNA expression of M-ASGP-BP in a time-dependent manner using thioglycolate-elicited rat and mouse peritoneal macrophages. However, LPS does not modulate the mRNA expression of M-ASGP-BP from macrophages of C3H/HeN mice, which have a point mutation of TLR4, the primary LPS receptor. Furthermore, an inhibitor of NF-κB was observed to efficiently block the suppressive effect of LPS on M-ASGP-BP as well as to inhibit the phosphorylated IκB. These results demonstrate that the mRNA expression of M-ASGP-BP is down-regulated by the LPS-mediated TLR4 pathway involving NF-κB activation, suggesting that engagement of M-ASGP-BP by LPS may yield a negative signal that interferes with the LPS-induced positive signals mediated by proinflammatory cytokines.