Nives Zimmermann

Dissection of experimental asthma with DNA microarray analysis identifies arginase in asthma pathogenesis

Asthma is on the rise despite intense, ongoing research underscoring the need for new scientific inquiry. In an effort to provide unbiased insight into disease pathogenesis, we took an approach involving expression profiling of lung tissue from mice with experimental asthma. Employing asthma models induced by different allergens and protocols, we identified 6.5% of the tested genome whose expression was altered in an asthmatic lung. Notably, two phenotypically similar models of experimental asthma were shown to have distinct transcript profiles. Genes related to metabolism of basic amino acids, specifically the cationic amino acid transporter 2, arginase I, and arginase II, were particularly prominent among the asthma signature genes. In situ hybridization demonstrated marked staining of arginase I, predominantly in submucosal inflammatory lesions. Arginase activity was increased in allergen-challenged lungs, as demonstrated by increased enzyme activity, and increased levels of putrescine, a downstream product. Lung arginase activity and mRNA expression were strongly induced by IL-4 and IL-13, and were differentially dependent on signal transducer and activator of transcription 6. Analysis of patients with asthma supported the importance of this pathway in human disease. Based on the ability of arginase to regulate generation of NO, polyamines, and collagen, these results provide a basis for pharmacologically targeting arginine metabolism in allergic disorders.

A pathological function for eotaxin and eosinophils in eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammation

Although eosinophils have been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders, their function has not been established. Using a murine model of oral antigen–induced eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disease, we report the pathological consequences of eosinophilic inflammation and the involvement of eotaxin and eosinophils. Exposure of mice to enteric-coated antigen promotes an extensive T helper 2–associated eosinophilic inflammatory response involving the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and Peyers patches as well as the development of gastric dysmotility, gastromegaly and cachexia. Electron microscopy shows eosinophils in proximity to damaged axons, which indicated that eosinophils were mediating a pathologic response. In addition, mice deficient in eotaxin have impaired eosinophil recruitment and are protected from gastromegaly and cachexia. These results establish a critical pathological function for eotaxin and eosinophils in gastrointestinal allergic hypersensitivity.

The Eotaxin Chemokines and CCR3 Are Fundamental Regulators of Allergen-Induced Pulmonary Eosinophilia

The eotaxin chemokines have been implicated in allergen-induced eosinophil responses in the lung. However, the individual and combined contribution of each of the individual eotaxins is not well defined. We aimed to examine the consequences of genetically ablating eotaxin-1 or eotaxin-2 alone, eotaxin-1 and eotaxin-2 together, and CCR3. Mice carrying targeted deletions of these individual or combined genes were subjected to an OVA-induced experimental asthma model. Analysis of airway (luminal) eosinophilia revealed a dominant role for eotaxin-2 and a synergistic reduction in eotaxin-1/2 double-deficient (DKO) and CCR3-deficient mice. Examination of pulmonary tissue eosinophilia revealed a modest role for individually ablated eotaxin-1 or eotaxin-2. However, eotaxin-1/2 DKO mice had a marked decrease in tissue eosinophilia approaching the low levels seen in CCR3-deficient mice. Notably, the organized accumulation of eosinophils in the peribronchial and perivascular regions of allergen-challenged wild-type mice was lost in eotaxin-1/2 DKO and CCR3-deficient mice. Mechanistic analysis revealed distinct expression of eotaxin-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells consistent with macrophages. Taken together, these results provide definitive evidence for a fundamental role of the eotaxin/CCR3 pathway in eosinophil recruitment in experimental asthma. These results imply that successful blockade of Ag-induced pulmonary eosinophilia will require antagonism of multiple CCR3 ligands.

Murine Eotaxin-2: A Constitutive Eosinophil Chemokine Induced by Allergen Challenge and IL-4 Overexpression

The generation of tissue eosinophilia is governed in part by chemokines; initial investigation has identified three chemokines in the human genome with eosinophil selectivity, referred to as eotaxin-1, -2, and -3. Elucidation of the role of these chemokines is dependent in part upon analysis of murine homologues; however, only one murine homologue, eotaxin-1, has been identified. We now report the characterization of the murine eotaxin-2 cDNA, gene and protein. The eotaxin-2 cDNA contains an open reading frame that encodes for a 119-amino acid protein. The mature protein, which is predicted to contain 93 amino acids, is most homologous to human eotaxin-2 (59.1% identity), but is only 38.9% identical with murine eotaxin-1. Northern blot analysis reveals three predominant mRNA species and highest constitutive expression in the jejunum and spleen. Additionally, allergen challenge in the lung with Asperigillus fumigatus or OVA revealed marked induction of eotaxin-2 mRNA. Furthermore, eotaxin-2 mRNA was strongly induced by both transgenic over-expression of IL-4 in the lung and administration of intranasal IL-4. Analysis of eotaxin-2 mRNA expression in mice transgenic for IL-4 but genetically deficient in STAT-6 revealed that the IL-4-induced expression was STAT-6 dependent. Recombinant eotaxin-2 protein induced dose-dependent chemotactic responses on murine eosinophils at concentrations between 1–1000 ng/ml, whereas no activity was displayed on murine macrophages or neutrophils. Functional analysis of recombinant protein variants revealed a critical role for the amino terminus. Thus, murine eotaxin-2 is a constitutively expressed eosinophil chemokine likely to be involved in homeostatic, allergen-induced, and IL-4-associated immune responses.

Identification of a Cooperative Mechanism Involving Interleukin-13 and Eotaxin-2 in Experimental Allergic Lung Inflammation

Pulmonary eosinophilia, a hallmark pathologic feature of allergic lung disease, is regulated by interleukin-13 (IL-13) as well as the eotaxin chemokines, but the specific role of these cytokines and their cooperative interaction are only partially understood. First, we elucidated the essential role of IL-13 in the induction of the eotaxins by comparing IL-13 gene-targeted mice with wild type control mice by using an ovalbumin-induced model of allergic airway inflammation. Notably, ovalbumin-induced expressions of eotaxin-1 and eotaxin-2 mRNA in the lungs were almost completely dependent upon IL-13. Second, in order to address the specific role of eotaxin-2 in IL-13-induced pulmonary eosinophilia, we generated eotaxin-2 gene-deficient mice by homologous recombination. Notably, in contrast to observations made in eotaxin-1-deficient mice, eotaxin-2-deficient mice had normal base-line eosinophil levels in the hematopoietic tissues and gastrointestinal tract. However, following intratracheal IL-13 administration, eotaxin-2-deficient mice showed a profound reduction in airway eosinophilia compared with wild type mice. Most interestingly, the level of peribronchial lung tissue eosinophils in IL-13-treated eotaxin-2-deficient mice was indistinguishable from wild type mice. Furthermore, IL-13 lung transgenic mice genetically engineered to be deficient in eotaxin-2 had a marked reduction of luminal eosinophils. Mechanistic analysis identified IL13-induced eotaxin-2 expression by macrophages in a distinct lung compartment (luminal inflammatory cells) compared with eotaxin-1, which was expressed solely in the tissue. Taken together, these results demonstrate a cooperative mechanism between IL-13 and eotaxin-2. In particular, IL-13 mediates allergen-induced eotaxin-2 expression, and eotaxin-2 mediates IL-13-induced airway eosinophilia.

The R576 IL-4 receptor α allele correlates with asthma severity☆☆☆★

Abstract Background: Atopic disorders, including asthma, are very prevalent, affecting up to 40% of populations, and their incidence is on the rise. Although environmental factors are important in the development of atopy, there is a strong genetic predisposition. Several genes and chromosomal regions have been linked to atopy and asthma, supporting the polygenic nature of these disorders. IL-4 and IL-13 are T H 2 cytokines with numerous activities that contribute to allergic inflammation and asthma. Both IL-4 and IL-13 use the IL-4 receptor α chain (IL-4Rα) as a component of their respective receptor systems. Allelic variants of IL-4Rα have been reported, and the R576IL-4Rα allele was recently shown to be a risk factor for atopy. Objective: We sought to determine whether the R576 allele was associated with the prevalence or clinical severity of asthma. Methods: We developed a rapid, reliable, PCR-based assay to screen individuals for the R576IL-4Rα allele and used this assay to genotype prospectively recruited individuals with asthma (n = 149) and control subjects (n = 57). Results: There was a strong association of R576IL-4Rα with the prevalence and clinical severity of asthma. In a prospective cohort, homozygosity for R576 was significantly increased in individuals with asthma (n = 149, P = .03; relative risk 8.2) compared with controls (n = 57). Furthermore, 1 or 2 copies R576IL-4Rα correlated with asthma severity establishing a genotype-phenotype relationship and suggesting a gene dosage effect. Conclusions: Thus R576IL-4Rα acts as an allergic asthma susceptibility and disease-modifying gene and may serve as a clinically useful marker of asthma severity. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:1008-14.)

CC Chemokine Receptor-3 Undergoes Prolonged Ligand-induced Internalization

CC chemokine receptor-3 (CCR-3) is a major receptor involved in regulating eosinophil trafficking; therefore, elucidation of ligand-induced CCR-3 events has important implications in understanding the biological and pathological properties of eosinophils. Previous studies have demonstrated that unique receptor events occur in different cell types supporting investigation of CCR-3-mediated events in eosinophilic cells. We now report biochemical characterization of CCR-3 internalization following exposure of eosinophils to CCR-3 ligands. Treatment of freshly isolated human eosinophils with CCR-3 ligands resulted in marked and differential internalization of CCR-3 in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure to 100 ng/ml eotaxin reduced surface expression to 43, 43, and 76% at 15 min, 1 h, and 3 h, respectively. RANTES (reduced on activation T cell expressed and secreted) treatment induced more significant and prolonged internalization of CCR-3 than eotaxin; following 100 ng/ml of RANTES, 29, 24, and 47% of the receptor was expressed at 15 min, 3 h, and 18 h, respectively. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that receptor modulation involved receptor internalization by an endocytic pathway shared with the transferrin receptor. Receptor internalization was accompanied by partial degradation of CCR-3, and reexpression of CCR-3 was dependent in part upon de novo protein synthesis. Internalization was not blocked by pretreatment of eosinophils with pertussis toxin. Furthermore, staurosporine did not inhibit internalization although it blocked phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced CCR-3 down-modulation. These results demonstrate that CCR-3 ligands induce differential receptor internalization that is not dependent upon Gi-protein coupling, calcium transients, or protein kinase C.

Transcript signatures in experimental asthma: identification of STAT6-dependent and -independent pathways.

The analysis of polygenic diseases such as asthma poses a challenging problem. In an effort to provide unbiased insight into disease pathogenesis, we took an empirical approach involving transcript expression profiling of lung tissue from mice with experimental asthma. Asthmatic responses were found to involve sequential induction of 4.7% of the tested genome; notably, there was ectopic expression of a series of genes not previously implicated in allergic or pulmonary responses. Genes were widely distributed throughout all chromosomes, but preferentially included genes involved in immunity, development, and homeostasis. When asthma was induced by two independent experimental regimens, unique gene transcript profiles were found depending upon the mode of disease induction. However, the majority of genes were common to both models representing an asthma signature genome. Analysis of STAT6-deficient mice revealed that an unexpectedly large segment of the asthma genes were STAT6 independent; this correlated with sustained inflammatory events in these mice. Notably, induction of asthma in STAT6-deficient mice resulted in gene induction not seen in wild-type mice. These results raise concern that therapeutic blockade of STAT6 in the asthmatic setting may reprogram the genetic signature, resulting in alternative lung pathology, which we indeed observed in STAT6-deficient mice. These results provide unprecedented insight into the complex steps involved in the pathogenesis of allergic airway responses; as such, these results have significant therapeutic and clinical implications.

Pulmonary Chemokine Expression Is Coordinately Regulated by STAT1, STAT6, and IFN-γ

The expression of distinct chemokines within the asthmatic lung suggests that specific regulatory mechanisms may mediate various stages of asthmatic disease. Global transcript expression profiling was used to define the spectrum and kinetics of chemokine involvement in an experimental murine model of asthma. Seventeen chemokines were induced in the lungs of allergen-inoculated mice, as compared with saline-treated mice. Two (CXCL13 and CCL9) of the 17 identified chemokines have not previously been associated with allergic airway disease. Seven (7 of 17; CCL2, CCL7, CCL9, CCL11, CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL10) of the allergen-induced chemokines were induced early after allergen challenge and remained induced throughout the experimental period. Three chemokines (CXCL2, CCL3, and CCL17) were induced only during the early phase of the inflammatory response after the initial allergen challenge, while seven chemokines (CCL6, CCL8, CCL12, CCL22, CXCL9, CXCL12, and CXCL13) were increased only after a second allergen exposure. Unexpectedly, expression of only three chemokines, CCL11, CCL17, and CCL22, was STAT6 dependent, and many of the identified chemokines were overexpressed in STAT6-deficient mice, providing an explanation for the enhanced neutrophilic inflammation seen in these mice. Notably, IFN-γ and STAT1 were shown to contribute to the induction of two STAT6-independent chemokines, CXCL9 and CXCL10. Taken together, these results show that only a select panel of chemokines (those targeting Th2 cells and eosinophils) is positively regulated by STAT6; instead, many of the allergen-induced chemokines are negatively regulated by STAT6. Collectively, we demonstrate that allergen-induced inflammation involves coordinate regulation by STAT1, STAT6, and IFN-γ.

Siglec‐F antibody administration to mice selectively reduces blood and tissue eosinophils

Background:  Sialic acid‐binding immunoglobulin‐like lectins (Siglecs) are a family of receptors that bind sialic acid and mostly contain immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based inhibitory motifs, suggesting that these molecules possess inhibitory functions. We have recently identified Siglec‐8 as an eosinophil‐prominent Siglec, and cross‐linking of Siglec‐8 on human eosinophils induces apoptosis. In this article, we address the in vivo consequences of Siglec engagement. We and others have identified mouse Siglec‐F as the closest functional paralog of human Siglec‐8, based on shared ligand‐binding and expression pattern. We therefore hypothesized that Siglec‐F engagement would affect levels and viability of eosinophils in vivo.