Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a classic inducer of inflammatory cytokines and is a key virulence factor for most gram-negative pathogens. The effect of phenol-water (LPS) and butanol-water (endotoxin) extracts from Serpulina hyodysenteriae on inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression from porcine alveolar macrophages was investigated. The LPS and endotoxin extracts from S. hyodysenteriae induced a dose-dependent expression of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-8 which was weak compared with the responses induced by Escherichia coli LPS. In addition, the spirochetal extracts induced no detectable upregulation of mRNA expression for either IL-6 or tumor necrosis factor alpha.