Intradermal air pouch leukocytosis as an in vivo test for nanoparticles.

The need for test systems for nanoparticle biocompatibility, toxicity, and inflammatory or adaptive immunological responses is paramount. Nanoparticles should be free of microbiological and chemical contaminants, and devoid of toxicity. Nevertheless, in the absence of contamination, these particles may still induce undesired immunological effects in vivo, such as enhanced autoimmunity, hypersensitivity reactions, and fibrosis. Here we show that artificial particles of specific sizes affect immune cell recruitment as tested in a dermal air pouch model in mice. In addition, we demonstrate that the composition of nanoparticles may influence immune cell recruitment in vivo. Aside from biophysical characterizations in terms of hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, concentration, and atomic concentration of metals, we show that - after first-line in vitro assays - characterization of cellular and molecular effects by dermal air pouch analysis is straightforward and should be included in the quality control of nanoparticles. We demonstrate this for innate immunological effects such as neutrophil recruitment and the production of immune-modulating matrix metalloproteases such as MMP-9; we propose the use of air pouch leukocytosis analysis as a future standard assay.

Glycosaminoglycan mimicry by COAM reduces melanoma growth through chemokine induction and function.

Chlorite-oxidized oxyamylose (COAM), a glycosaminoglycan mimetic and potent antiviral agent, provided significant growth reduction of syngeneic murine B16-F1 melanoma tumors. A single early dose (100 µg, into the site of tumor cell inoculation) was sufficient to establish a persistent effect over 17 days (resected tumor volume of 78.3 mm(3) in COAM-treated mice compared to 755.2 mm(3) in the control cohort, i.e., 89.6% reduction of tumor volumes). COAM was a much better antitumoral agent than the polyanionic glycosaminoglycan heparin. COAM retained its antitumoral effect in lymphopenic mice, reinforcing the idea of myeloid cell involvement. Massive recruitment of myeloid cells into dermal air pouches in response to COAM and their increased presence in early-treated tumors indicated that mainly CD11b(+) GR-1(+) myeloid cells were attracted by COAM to exert antitumoral effects. Leukocyte chemotaxis was mediated by the chemokine system through the induction in B16-F1 cells of mouse granulocyte chemotactic protein-2/CXCL6 upon COAM treatment. Thus, COAM constitutes a novel tool to study the role of innate immune cells in the initial stages of tumor development and an example that innate immunostimulating glycosaminoglycan mimicry may be exploited therapeutically.

Deficiency of gelatinase B/MMP-9 aggravates lpr-induced lymphoproliferation and lupus-like systemic autoimmune disease.

Gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a key enzyme involved in inflammatory, hematological, vascular and neoplastic diseases. In previous studies, we explored the intracellular substrate set or 'degradome' of MMP-9 and found many systemic autoantigens as novel intracellular gelatinase B substrates. Little is known, however, about the functional role of MMP-9 in the development of systemic autoimmunity in vivo. B6(lpr/lpr) mice with defective Fas-mediated apoptosis were used to investigate the functions of MMP-9 in lymphocyte proliferation and in the development of systemic autoimmunity. Combined Fas and gelatinase B deficiency resulted in extreme lymphoproliferative disease with enhanced lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, and significantly reduced survival compared with single Fas deficiency. At the cellular level, this was corroborated by increased lymph node accumulation of 'double negative' T cells, B cells and myeloid cells. In addition, higher autoantibody titers and more pronounced autoimmune tissue injury were found in the absence of MMP-9, culminating in chronically enhanced systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like autoimmunity. After cleavage by MMP-9 the SLE autoantigens U1snRNP A and ribosomal protein P0 were hardly recognized by plasma samples of both B6(lpr/lpr).MMP-9⁻/⁻ and B6(lpr/lpr).MMP-9+/+ mice, pointing to a destruction of B cell epitopes by MMP-9-mediated proteolysis. In addition, the same loss of immunodominant epitopes was observed with plasma samples from SLE patients, suggesting that MMP-9 suppresses systemic antibody-mediated autoimmunity by clearance of autoepitopes in immunogenic substrates. Thus, new protective functions for MMP-9 were revealed in the suppression of lymphoproliferation and dampening of systemic autoimmunity, cautioning against the long-term use of MMP inhibitors in autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) and SLE.

Myeloid cells are tunable by a polyanionic polysaccharide derivative and co-determine host rescue from lethal virus infection.

Insight into molecular and cellular mechanisms of innate immunity is critical to understand viral pathogenesis and immunopathology and might be exploited for therapy. Whereas the molecular mechanisms of the IFN defense are well established, cellular mechanisms of antiviral immunity are only emerging, and their pharmacological triggering remains unknown. COAM is a polysaccharide derivative with antiviral activity but without comprehension about its mechanism of action. The COAM mixture was fractionated, and prophylactic treatment of mice with COAM polymers of high MW resulted in a conversion from 100% lethal mengovirus infection to an overall survival rate of 93% without obvious clinical sequelae. Differential and quantitative analysis of peritoneal leukocytes demonstrated that COAM induced a profound influx of neutrophils. Selective cell depletion experiments pointed toward neutrophils and macrophages as key effector cells in the rescue of mice from lethal mengovirus. COAM was able to induce mRNA and protein expression of the mouse neutrophil chemokine GCP-2. Binding of GCP-2 to COAM was demonstrated in solution and confirmed by SPR technology. Although COAM was not chemotactic for neutrophils, COAM-anchored muGCP-2 retained chemotactic activity for human and mouse neutrophils. In conclusion, this study established that COAM rescued mice from acute and lethal mengovirus infection by recruiting antiviral leukocytes to the site of infection, as proposed through the induction, binding, and concentration of endogenous chemokines. These findings reinforce the role of neutrophils and macrophages as critical cells that can be manipulated toward antiviral defense.

The COOH-terminal peptide of platelet factor-4 variant (CXCL4L1/PF-4var47-70) strongly inhibits angiogenesis and suppresses B16 melanoma growth in vivo.

Chemokines influence tumor growth directly or indirectly via both angiogenesis and tumor-leukocyte interactions. Platelet factor-4 (CXCL4/PF-4), which is released from alpha-granules of activated platelets, is the first described angiostatic chemokine. Recently, it was found that the variant of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4L1/PF-4var) could exert a more pronounced angiostatic and antitumoral effect than CXCL4/PF-4. However, the molecular mechanisms of the angiostatic activities of the PF-4 forms remain partially elusive. Here, we studied the biological properties of the chemically synthesized COOH-terminal peptides of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4/PF-4(47-70)) and CXCL4L1/PF-4var (CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70)). Both PF-4 peptides lacked monocyte and lymphocyte chemotactic activity but equally well inhibited (25 nmol/L) endothelial cell motility and proliferation in the presence of a single stimulus (i.e., exogenous recombinant fibroblast growth factor-2). In contrast, when assayed in more complex angiogenesis test systems characterized by the presence of multiple mediators, including in vitro wound-healing (2.5 nmol/L versus 12.5 nmol/L), Matrigel (60 nmol/L versus 300 nmol/L), and chorioallantoic membrane assays, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) was found to be significantly (5-fold) more angiostatic than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). In addition, low (7 microg total) doses of intratumoral CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) inhibited B16 melanoma growth in mice more extensively than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). This antitumoral activity was predominantly mediated through inhibition of angiogenesis (without affecting blood vessel stability) and induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by immunohistochemical and fluorescent staining of B16 tumor tissue. In conclusion, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) is a potent antitumoral and antiangiogenic peptide. These results may represent the basis for the design of CXCL4L1/PF-4var COOH-terminal-derived peptidomimetic anticancer drugs.

Interleukin-17 regulates chemokine and gelatinase B expression in fibroblasts to recruit both neutrophils and monocytes.

Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a proinflammatory cytokine, produced only by activated lymphocytes, but with a broad cellular host range. The effects of IL-17 on fibroblasts were investigated by analysis of the induction of chemokine and matrix metalloprotease (MMP) mRNA levels by RT-PCR. IL-17 stimulated CC chemokine (monocyte chemotactic protein-1; MCP-1/JE) and CXC (KC, MIP-2) chemokine and TIMP-1 mRNA expression in fibroblastoid L929 cells. In normal mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) this induction profile by IL-17 was extended with the mRNAs encoding the chemokine granulocyte chemotactic protein-2 (GCP-2) and the proteases MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-13. The MMP-9 and GCP-2 induction by IL-17 in MEF, and the absence of induction in L929 cells, were corroborated by gelatin zymography and ELISA, respectively. The induction of MCP-1/CCL2 by IL-17 was confirmed in human diploid fibroblasts. We conclude that IL-17 regulates differentially chemokine and MMP expression by normal and transformed fibroblasts and is indirectly capable of attracting both monocytes and neutrophils to the inflammatory focus.

Inflammatory rather than infectious insults play a role in exocrine tissue damage in a mouse model for coxsackievirus B4-induced pancreatitis.

Infection with coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) may result in an acute severe necrotizing pancreatitis that mostly remains restricted to the acini of the exocrine parenchyma. The mechanisms responsible for this tissue damage, however, remain poorly understood. We here report that COAM, a polyanionic carboxylic acid, provides marked protection against CVB4-induced pancreatitis in a mouse model. Despite the fact that COAM largely reduced disease severity, as detected by serum amylase and lipase levels as well as histologically, titres of replicating CVB4 in the pancreas were virtually unaffected. COAM treatment diminished the infection-associated MMP-9 levels and also resulted in a decreased influx of neutrophils into the infected pancreas. Moreover, we demonstrate that titres of replicating virus in the pancreas did not directly correlate with the severity of disease. In conclusion, our data suggest that immunopathological effects, rather than direct virus-induced destruction, are responsible for the damage to acinar tissue in CVB4-induced pancreatitis.

Citrullination of CXCL8 by peptidylarginine deiminase alters receptor usage, prevents proteolysis, and dampens tissue inflammation.

Biological functions of proteins are influenced by posttranslational modifications such as on/off switching by phosphorylation and modulation by glycosylation. Proteolytic processing regulates cytokine and chemokine activities. In this study, we report that natural posttranslational citrullination or deimination alters the biological activities of the neutrophil chemoattractant and angiogenic cytokine CXCL8/interleukin-8 (IL-8). Citrullination of arginine in position 5 was discovered on 14% of natural leukocyte-derived CXCL8(1-77), generating CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5). Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) is known to citrullinate structural proteins, and it may initiate autoimmune diseases. PAD efficiently and site-specifically citrullinated CXCL5, CXCL8, CCL17, CCL26, but not IL-1beta. In comparison with CXCL8(1-77), CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) had reduced affinity for glycosaminoglycans and induced less CXCR2-dependent calcium signaling and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation. In contrast to CXCL8(1-77), CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) was resistant to thrombin- or plasmin-dependent potentiation into CXCL8(6-77). Upon intraperitoneal injection, CXCL8(6-77) was a more potent inducer of neutrophil extravasation compared with CXCL8(1-77). Despite its retained chemotactic activity in vitro, CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) was unable to attract neutrophils to the peritoneum. Finally, in the rabbit cornea angiogenesis assay, the equally potent CXCL8(1-77) and CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) were less efficient angiogenic molecules than CXCL8(6-77). This study shows that PAD citrullinates the chemokine CXCL8, and thus may dampen neutrophil extravasation during acute or chronic inflammation.

Virus entry inhibition by chlorite-oxidized oxyamylose versus induction of antiviral interferon by poly(I:C).

Unlike polyribonucleotides, such as poly(I:C), chlorite-oxidized oxyamylose (COAM) has been poorly characterized as a polyanionic antiviral. COAM possesses a controversial interferon (IFN)-inducing capacity and its mechanism of action has not been elucidated. In this study, COAM was biochemically characterized and fractionated according to molecular mass. In comparison with a strong IFN induction and upregulation of the helicase RIG-I and MDA-5 mRNAs by poly(I:C), COAM did not enhance IFN-alpha or -beta and IFN-inducible RNA helicases in mouse fibroblastoid cells. Instead, COAM inhibited virus entry by blocking the attachment to the cells. These results suggest that COAM can alter the outcome of infection, not by IFN induction and in turn modifying the cellular antiviral state, but through inhibition of virus entry into cells.

Platelet factor-4 variant chemokine CXCL4L1 inhibits melanoma and lung carcinoma growth and metastasis by preventing angiogenesis.

The platelet factor-4 variant, designated PF-4var/CXCL4L1, is a recently described natural non-allelic gene variant of the CXC chemokine platelet factor-4/CXCL4. PF-4var/CXCL4L1 was cloned, and the purified recombinant protein strongly inhibited angiogenesis. Recombinant PF-4var/CXCL4L1 was angiostatically more active (at nanomolar concentration) than PF-4/CXCL4 in various test systems, including wound-healing and migration assays for microvascular endothelial cells and the rat cornea micropocket assay for angiogenesis. Furthermore, PF-4var/CXCL4L1 more efficiently inhibited tumor growth in animal models of melanoma and lung carcinoma than PF-4/CXCL4 at an equimolar concentration. For B16 melanoma in nude mice, a significant reduction in tumor size and the number of small i.t. blood vessels was obtained with i.t. applied PF-4var/CXCL4L1. For A549 adenocarcinoma in severe combined immunodeficient mice, i.t. PF-4var/CXCL4L1 reduced tumor growth and microvasculature more efficiently than PF-4/CXCL4 and prevented metastasis to various organs better than the angiostatic IFN-inducible protein 10/CXCL10. Finally, in the syngeneic model of Lewis lung carcinoma, PF-4var/CXCL4L1 inhibited tumor growth equally well as monokine induced by IFN-gamma (Mig)/CXCL9, also known to attract effector T lymphocytes. Taken together, PF-4var/CXCL4L1 is a highly potent antitumoral chemokine preventing development and metastasis of various tumors by inhibition of angiogenesis. These data confirm the clinical potential of locally released chemokines in cancer therapy.

Protective role of IFN-gamma in collagen-induced arthritis conferred by inhibition of mycobacteria-induced granulocyte chemotactic protein-2 production.

Mice with a disrupted IFN-gamma system are remarkably susceptible to experimental autoimmune diseases, such as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which rely on the use of CFA. The inflammatory lesions of these IFN-gamma knockout (KO) mice are characterized by an excessive proportion of neutrophils. Here, we show that the increased severity of CIA in IFN-gammaR KO as compared with wild-type mice is accompanied by increased levels of the CXC chemokine granulocyte chemotactic protein-2 (GCP-2), a major neutrophil-attracting chemokine in mice. We demonstrated that the heat-killed mycobacteria present in CFA elicited production of GCP-2 in mouse embryo fibroblast cultures and that this production was inhibited by IFN-gamma. Inhibition of GCP-2 production by IFN-gamma was STAT-1-dependent. IFN-gamma receptor KO mice treated with neutralizing anti-GCP-2 antibodies were protected from CIA, indicating the in vivo importance of GCP-2 in the pathogenesis of CIA. Our data support the notion that one of the mechanisms whereby endogenous IFN-gamma mitigates the manifestations of CIA consists of inhibiting production of GCP-2, thereby limiting mobilization and infiltration of neutrophils, which are important actors in joint inflammation. These results may also be applicable to other experimental models of autoimmunity that rely on the use of CFA.

Exogenous IL-12 suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by tuning IL-10 and IL-5 levels in an IFN-gamma-dependent way.

Endogenous IL-12 is considered to be required for the generation and function of pathogenic Th1 effector cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We show here that IL-12 administration together with the immunization suppressed actively induced CREAE in SJL/J and in Biozzi/ABH mice and even subsequent spontaneous relapse incidence and severity in Biozzi ABH mice. IL-12 given during remission of primary disease inhibited re-induced relapses in SJL/J, but not spontaneous relapses in Biozzi mice. The protective effect of IL-12 is time- and dose-dependent. Protection is accompanied by subsequent increased production of IL-10 and IL-5 by lymph node and spleen cells and an inhibition of cell proliferation. Mice depleted of IFN-gamma by administration of neutralizing antibodies were poorly protected by exogenous IL-12, indicating that the inhibitory effect of IL-12 is partially IFN-gamma dependent.

Remnant epitopes, autoimmunity and glycosylation.

The role of extracellular proteolysis in innate and adaptive immunity and the interplay between cytokines, chemokines and proteinases are gradually becoming recognized as critical factors in autoimmune processes. Many of the involved proteinases, including those of the plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase cascades, and also several cytokines and chemokines, are glycoproteins. The stability, interactions with inhibitors or receptors, and activities of these molecules are fine-controlled by glycosylation. We studied gelatinase B or matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as a glycosylated enzyme involved in autoimmunity. In the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients, CXC chemokines, such as interleukin-8/CXCL8, recruit and activate neutrophils to secrete prestored neutrophil collagenase/MMP-8 and gelatinase B/MMP-9. Gelatinase B potentiates interleukin-8 at least tenfold and thus enhances neutrophil and lymphocyte influxes to the joints. When cartilage collagen type II is cleaved at a unique site by one of several collagenases (MMP-1, MMP-8 or MMP-13), it becomes a substrate of gelatinase B. Human gelatinase B cleaves the resulting two large collagen fragments into at least 33 peptides of which two have been shown to be immunodominant, i.e., to elicit activation and proliferation of autoimmune T cells. One of these two remnant epitopes contains a glycan which is important for its immunoreactivity. In addition to the role of gelatinase B as a regulator in adaptive immune processes, we have also demonstrated that it destroys interferon-beta, a typical innate immunity effector molecule and therapeutic cytokine in multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, glycosylated interferon-beta, expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, was more resistant to this proteolysis than recombinant interferon-beta from bacteria. These data not only prove that glycosylation of proteins is mechanistically important in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, but also show that targeting of glycosylated proteinases or the use of glycosylated cytokines seems also critical for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Targeting neutrophil collagenase/matrix metalloproteinase-8 and gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9 with a peptidomimetic inhibitor protects against endotoxin shock.

Gram-negative sepsis, bacterial meningitis and endotoxin shock are life-threatening disorders, associated with the rapid release of neutrophil enzymes. Neutrophil collagenase/matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) are contained in granules, are quickly exocytosed upon granulocyte activation and efficiently cleave intact and denatured collagens, respectively. Genetic ablation of gelatinase B protects against endotoxin-induced mortality. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a peptidomimetic gelatinase B inhibitor Regasepin1, and compared the selectivity for the collagenases MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13. Regasepin1 was found to inhibit, almost to the same degree, the neutrophil enzymes MMP-8 and MMP-9 and the monocytic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM-17) in vitro. With the use of mass spectrometry analysis, the plasma half-life of inhibitor levels was determined after an intraperitoneal bolus injection in mice. Plasma peak levels of the inhibitor were reached at 50 min after intraperitoneal injection and the subsequent half-life in the circulation exceeded 40 min. Regasepin1 protected mice against lethal endotoxinemia by intraperitoneal and intravenous injection routes. This proves the principle that early neutrophil MMP inhibition followed by TACE blockade may become a treatment strategy of gram-negative sepsis, endotoxinemia and other life-threatening inflammatory reactions.

Chemokines synergize in the recruitment of circulating neutrophils into inflamed tissue.

The innate immune response against micro-organisms is mediated by phagocytes, attracted by chemokines and other G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands. Originally, we observed increased neutrophil migration by the interaction of inflammatory CXC chemokines such as IL-8/CXCL8 and granulocyte chemotactic protein (GCP)-2/CXCL6 with regakine-1, a CC chemokine constitutively present in plasma. We here demonstrate statistically significant synergy between regakine-1 and the neutrophil attractants C5a or IL-8/CXCL8 in inducing neutrophil shape change and migration under agarose. In addition, regakine-1 attracted human bone marrow granulocytes and enhanced their chemotactic response to IL-8/CXCL8 in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, plasma chemokines may regulate the number of circulating leukocytes under homeostatic conditions and may facilitate extra recruitment of bone marrow neutrophils during inflammation. Indeed, in vivo, regakine-1 provoked a mild neutrophilia in rabbits upon intravenous injection. We also observed that the CC chemokines regakine-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-3/CCL7 as well as the CXC chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha/CXCL12 co-operated with murine GCP-2 after intraperitoneal co-administration to increase neutrophil influx in mice. These data demonstrate that inducible and constitutive GPCR ligands synergize to enhance inflammation and facilitate a more effective immune response.

Role of the autocrine chemokines MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta in the metastatic behavior of murine T cell lymphoma.

The ESb-MP T-cell line is a highly malignant murine lymphoma, which preferentially metastasizes toward the kidney. This could be a result of the local production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted (RANTES), which are chemotactic for ESb-MP cells. Here, we demonstrate that ESb-MP cells are already responsive to the chemotactic activity of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) and MIP-1beta from 1 ng/ml onward. Moreover, upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or virus, ESb-MP cells themselves produce significant amounts of MIP-1 ( approximately 200 ng/ml). Indeed, the major autocrine chemoattractants, isolated from ESb-MP cells, were intact MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta. Pretreatment with LPS or addition of MIP-1 inhibited the in vitro migration of ESb-MP cells toward various chemokines. Moreover, compared with untreated lymphoma cells, LPS-treated cells produced significantly less metastasis in mice. The results represented here suggest that the role of chemokines in attracting tumor cells at secondary sites depends on a balance between autocrine-produced and tissue-derived chemokines. This delicate balance should be considered in the design of antichemokine strategies in different tumor types.