Norbert Degousee

Groups IV, V, and X Phospholipases A2s in Human Neutrophils ROLE IN EICOSANOID PRODUCTION AND GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL PHOSPHOLIPID HYDROLYSIS

The bacterial tripeptide formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) induces the secretion of enzyme(s) with phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity from human neutrophils. We show that circulating human neutrophils express groups V and X sPLA2 (GV and GX sPLA2) mRNA and contain GV and GX sPLA2 proteins, whereas GIB, GIIA, GIID, GIIE, GIIF, GIII, and GXII sPLA2s are undetectable. GV sPLA2 is a component of both azurophilic and specific granules, whereas GX sPLA2 is confined to azurophilic granules. Exposure to fMLP or opsonized zymosan results in the release of GV but not GX sPLA2 and most, if not all, of the PLA2 activity in the extracellular fluid of fMLP-stimulated neutrophils is due to GV sPLA2. GV sPLA2 does not contribute to fMLP-stimulated leukotriene B4 production but may support the anti-bacterial properties of the neutrophil, because 10–100 ng per ml concentrations of this enzyme lead to Gram-negative bacterial membrane phospholipid hydrolysis in the presence of human serum. By use of a recently described and specific inhibitor of cytosolic PLA2-α (group IV PLA2α), we show that this enzyme produces virtually all of the arachidonic acid used for the biosynthesis of leukotriene B4 in fMLP- and opsonized zymosan-stimulated neutrophils, the major eicosanoid produced by these pro-inflammatory cells.

Self-renewing resident arterial macrophages arise from embryonic CX3CR1+ precursors and circulating monocytes immediately after birth

Resident macrophages densely populate the normal arterial wall, yet their origins and the mechanisms that sustain them are poorly understood. Here we use gene-expression profiling to show that arterial macrophages constitute a distinct population among macrophages. Using multiple fate-mapping approaches, we show that arterial macrophages arise embryonically from CX3CR1+ precursors and postnatally from bone marrow–derived monocytes that colonize the tissue immediately after birth. In adulthood, proliferation (rather than monocyte recruitment) sustains arterial macrophages in the steady state and after severe depletion following sepsis. After infection, arterial macrophages return rapidly to functional homeostasis. Finally, survival of resident arterial macrophages depends on a CX3CR1-CX3CL1 axis within the vascular niche.

Innate Response Activator B Cells Aggravate Atherosclerosis by Stimulating T Helper-1 Adaptive Immunity

Background— Atherosclerotic lesions grow via the accumulation of leukocytes and oxidized lipoproteins in the vessel wall. Leukocytes can attenuate or augment atherosclerosis through the release of cytokines, chemokines, and other mediators. Deciphering how leukocytes develop, oppose, and complement each other’s function and shape the course of disease can illuminate our understanding of atherosclerosis. Innate response activator (IRA) B cells are a recently described population of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor–secreting cells of hitherto unknown function in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results— Here, we show that IRA B cells arise during atherosclerosis in mice and humans. In response to a high-cholesterol diet, IRA B cell numbers increase preferentially in secondary lymphoid organs via Myd88-dependent signaling. Mixed chimeric mice lacking B cell–derived granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor develop smaller lesions with fewer macrophages and effector T cells. Mechanistically, IRA B cells promote the expansion of classic dendritic cells, which then generate interferon &ggr;–producing T helper-1 cells. This IRA B cell–dependent T helper-1 skewing manifests in an IgG1-to-IgG2c isotype switch in the immunoglobulin response against oxidized lipoproteins. Conclusions— Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor–producing IRA B cells alter adaptive immune processes and shift the leukocyte response toward a T helper-1–associated milieu that aggravates atherosclerosis.

Disruption of JNK2 Decreases the Cytokine Response to Plasmodium falciparum Glycosylphosphatidylinositol In Vitro and Confers Protection in a Cerebral Malaria Model

Host inflammatory responses to Plasmodium falciparum GPI (pfGPI) anchors are believed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of severe malaria. However, relatively little is known about the signal transduction pathways involved in pfGPI-stimulated inflammatory response and its potential contribution to severe malaria syndromes. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPK activation in pfGPI-induced cytokine secretion and examined the role of selected MAPKs in a model of cerebral malaria in vivo. We demonstrate that ERK1/2, JNK, p38, c-Jun, and activating transcription factor-2 became phosphorylated in pfGPI-stimulated macrophages. A JNK inhibitor (1,9-pyrazoloanthrone) inhibited pfGPI-induced phosphorylation of JNK, c-Jun, and activating transcription factor-2 and significantly decreased pfGPI-induced TNF-α secretion. pfGPI-stimulated JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation was absent in Jnk2−/− macrophages but unchanged in Jnk1−/− and Jnk3−/− macrophages compared with wild-type macrophages. Jnk2−/− macrophages secreted significantly less TNF-α in response to pfGPI than macrophages from Jnk1−/−, Jnk3−/−, and wild-type counterparts. Furthermore, we demonstrate a role for JNK2 in mediating inflammatory responses and severe malaria in vivo. In contrast to wild-type or Jnk1−/− mice, Jnk2−/− mice had lower levels of TNF-α in vivo and exhibited significantly higher survival rates when challenged with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. These results provide direct evidence that pfGPI induces TNF-α secretion through activation of MAPK pathways, including JNK2. These results suggest that JNK2 is a potential target for therapeutic interventions in severe malaria.

MAP Kinase Kinase 6–p38 MAP Kinase Signaling Cascade Regulates Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Cardiac Myocytes In Vitro and In Vivo

&NA; —Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) catalyzes the rate‐limiting step in delayed prostaglandin biosynthesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the MAP kinase kinase 6 (MKK6)‐p38 MAPK signaling cascade in the regulation of myocardial COX‐2 gene expression, in vitro and in vivo. RT‐PCR analysis identified p38&agr; and p38&bgr;2 MAPK mRNA in rat cardiac myocytes. Interleukin‐1&bgr; induced the phosphorylation of p38&agr; and p38&bgr;2 MAPK in cardiomyocytes and stimulated RNA polymerase II binding to the COX‐2 promoter, COX‐2 transcription, COX‐2 protein synthesis, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release. Infecting cardiomyocytes with adenoviruses that encode mutant, phosphorylation‐resistant MKK6 or p38&bgr;2 MAPK inhibited interleukin‐1&bgr;—induced p38 MAPK activation, COX‐2 gene expression, and PGE2 release. Treatment with the p38&agr; and p38&bgr;2 MAPK inhibitor, SB202190, attenuated interleukin‐1&bgr;—induced COX‐2 transcription and accelerated the degradation of COX‐2 mRNA. Cells infected with adenoviruses encoding wild‐type or constitutively activated MKK6 or p38&bgr;2 MAPK, in the absence of interleukin‐1&bgr;, exhibited increased cellular p38 MAPK activity, COX‐2 mRNA expression, and COX‐2 protein synthesis, which was blocked by SB202190. In addition, elevated levels of COX‐2 protein were identified in the hearts of transgenic mice with cardiac‐restricted expression of wild‐type or constitutively activated MKK6, in comparison with nontransgenic littermates. These results provide direct evidence that MKK6 mediated p38 MAPK activation is necessary for interleukin‐1&bgr;—induced cardiac myocyte COX‐2 gene expression and PGE2 biosynthesis in vitro and is sufficient for COX‐2 gene expression by cardiac myocytes in vitro and in vivo. (Circ Res. 2003;92:757–764.)

c-Jun N-terminal kinase-mediated stabilization of microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 mRNA regulates delayed microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 expression and prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis by cardiomyocytes.

Microsomal prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) catalyzes the terminal step in the biosynthesis of PGE2, a key proinflammatory mediator. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the regulation of mPGES-1 mRNA expression in cardiomyocytes, define the role of JNK enzymes in this process, and characterize the role of mPGES-1 in cardiomyocyte PGE2 biosynthesis. In neonatal cardiomyocytes, interleukin-1β and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) both stimulated mPGES-1 mRNA expression and increased mPGES-1 mRNA stability and protein synthesis but failed to increase mPGES-1 mRNA transcription. Treatment with the JNK1/2 inhibitor, SP600125, abrogated the increases in mPGES-1 mRNA stability, mPGES-1 protein synthesis, and PGE2 release induced by interleukin-1β or LPS. mPGES-1 protein synthesis was observed in LPS-stimulated neonatal cardiomyocytes from jnk1–/– or jnk2–/– mice. In contrast, infection of jnk1–/– cardiomyocytes with an adenovirus encoding phosphorylation-resistant JNK2 (ad-JNK2-DN), or of jnk2–/– cardiomyocytes with ad-JNK1-DN, significantly decreased LPS-stimulated mPGES-1 protein synthesis. Similarly, co-infection with ad-JNK1-DN and ad-JNK2-DN attenuated LPS-stimulated mPGES-1 protein synthesis in cardiomyocytes from wild type mice. Targeted deletion of the gene encoding mPGES-1 led to a 3.2-fold decrease in LPS-stimulated PGE2 release by cardiomyocytes in comparison with wild type cells but had no effect on COX-1, COX-2, mPGES-2, or cytosolic PGES mRNA levels. These studies provide direct evidence that mPGES-1 mRNA levels in cardiomyocytes are augmented by stabilization of mPGES-1 mRNA, that JNK1 or JNK2 can participate in the regulation of mPGES-1 protein synthesis in these cells, and that mPGES-1 catalyzes the majority of LPS-induced PGE2 biosynthesis by cardiomyocytes.

Differential Pathological and Immune Responses in Newly Weaned Ferrets Are Associated with a Mild Clinical Outcome of Pandemic 2009 H1N1 Infection

ABSTRACT Young children are typically considered a high-risk group for disease associated with influenza virus infection. Interestingly, recent clinical reports suggested that young children were the smallest group of cases with severe pandemic 2009 H1N1 (H1N1pdm) influenza virus infection. Here we established a newly weaned ferret model for the investigation of H1N1pdm infection in young age groups compared to adults. We found that young ferrets had a significantly milder fever and less weight loss than adult ferrets, which paralleled the mild clinical symptoms in the younger humans. Although there was no significant difference in viral clearance, disease severity was associated with pulmonary pathology, where newly weaned ferrets had an earlier pathology improvement. We examined the immune responses associated with protection of the young age group during H1N1pdm infection. We found that interferon and regulatory interleukin-10 responses were more robust in the lungs of young ferrets. In contrast, myeloperoxidase and major histocompatibility complex responses were persistently higher in the adult lungs; as well, the numbers of inflammation-prone granulocytes were highly elevated in the adult peripheral blood. Importantly, we observed that H1N1pdm infection triggered formation of lung structures that resembled inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues (iBALTs) in young ferrets which were associated with high levels of homeostatic chemokines CCL19 and CXCL13, but these were not seen in the adult ferrets with severe disease. These results may be extrapolated to a model of the mild disease seen in human children. Furthermore, these mechanistic analyses provide significant new insight into the developing immune system and effective strategies for intervention and vaccination against respiratory viruses.

Lack of Microsomal Prostaglandin E2 Synthase-1 in Bone Marrow–Derived Myeloid Cells Impairs Left Ventricular Function and Increases Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background— Microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1), encoded by the Ptges gene, catalyzes prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis and is expressed by leukocytes, cardiac myocytes, and cardiac fibroblasts. Ptges −/− mice develop more left ventricle (LV) dilation, worse LV contractile function, and higher LV end-diastolic pressure than Ptges +/+ mice after myocardial infarction. In this study, we define the role of mPGES-1 in bone marrow–derived leukocytes in the recovery of LV function after coronary ligation. Methods and Results— Cardiac structure and function in Ptges +/+ mice with Ptges +/+ bone marrow (BM +/+) and Ptges +/+ mice with Ptges −/− BM (BM −/−) were assessed by morphometric analysis, echocardiography, and invasive hemodynamics before and 7 and 28 days after myocardial infarction. Prostaglandin levels and prostaglandin biosynthetic enzyme gene expression were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively. After myocardial infarction, BM −/− mice had more LV dilation, worse LV systolic and diastolic function, higher LV end-diastolic pressure, more cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and higher mortality but similar infarct size and pulmonary edema compared with BM +/+ mice. BM −/− mice also had higher levels of COX-1 protein and more leukocytes in the infarct, but not the viable LV, than BM +/+ mice. Levels of prostaglandin E2 were higher in the infarct and viable myocardium of BM −/− mice than in BM +/+ mice. Conclusions— Lack of mPGES-1 in bone marrow–derived leukocytes negatively regulates COX-1 expression, prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis, and inflammation in the infarct and leads to impaired LV function, adverse LV remodeling, and decreased survival after acute myocardial infarction.