Biological effects of a purified lipopolysaccharide from Bacteroides gingivalis

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been purified from Bacteroides gingivalis. The purity of this LPS is evidenced on ultracentrifugation, immunoelectrophoresis, and chemical analyses. On comparison with LPS from aerobic enteric organisms, LPS from Bacteroides gingivalis exhibits minimal potency when tested for pyrogenicity in rabbits and mitogenicity in mouse spleen cells. On the other hand, purified LPS from Bacteroides gingivalis exhibits high potency in its ability to stimulate ⁴⁵Ca release from prelabeled fetal rat bones and to inhibit Ca influx into osteoclast‐like cells.