In vivo antioxidant treatment suppresses nuclear factor-kappa B activation and neutrophilic lung inflammation.

We hypothesized that endotoxin injection in rats would stimulate in vivo nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation in lung tissue and that antioxidant treatment before endotoxin injection would attenuate endotoxin-induced NF-kappa B activation, chemokine gene expression, and neutrophilic lung inflammation. We studied NF-kappa B activation in rat lung tissue following a single i.p. injection of endotoxin (6 mg/kg). After in vivo endotoxin treatment, lung NF-kappa B activation peaked at 2 h and temporally correlated with the expression of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant mRNA in lung tissue. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 1 h before endotoxin resulted in decreased lung NF-kappa B activation in a dose-dependent manner (from 200-1000 mg/kg) and diminished cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant mRNA expression in lung tissue. Treatment with NAC significantly suppressed endotoxin-induced neutrophilic alveolitis. The average total lung lavage neutrophil count was 5.5 x 10(6) with endotoxin treatment vs 0.9 x 10(6) with NAC treatment before endotoxin. The NF-kappa B pathway represents an attractive therapeutic target for strategies to control neutrophilic inflammation and lung injury.

Strategies for blocking the systemic effects of cytokines in the sepsis syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To review and evaluate animal and human data regarding strategies to intervene in the pathogenesis of the sepsis syndrome by specifically blocking the action of single cytokines. DATA SOURCES: The English language medical literature was reviewed, including reports of human clinical trials, animal experiments, and in vitro studies elucidating cellular and molecular interactions. STUDY SELECTION: Emphasis was placed on controlled experimental studies that elucidated the effectiveness of antibodies, soluble receptors, and receptor antagonists in intervening in the pathogenesis of the sepsis reaction. DATA EXTRACTION: This review focuses on data that directly involve the induction and regulation of protein mediators of sepsis, especially tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8. DATA SYNTHESIS: Information concerning the potential of cytokine blockers in modulating the sepsis reaction is presented in a logical, clinically oriented fashion. The purpose is to emphasize the potential role of these agents by focusing on the actual existing data. CONCLUSIONS: The pathophysiology of the sepsis reaction appears to involve the sequential release of cytokines. Interventions designed to specifically block the biological effects of single cytokines appear to have a role in the management of sepsis syndrome, but well-designed, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials in well-defined clinical populations are necessary to define this role. These trials require the cooperation of clinical and basic scientists.

Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant mediates neutrophilic alveolitis in rats: association with nuclear factor kappa B activation.

Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) is a rat cytokine with structural and functional homology to human interleukin-8 (IL-8) and melanoma growth-stimulatory activity (MGSA/gro). We investigated the relationship between CINC and the production of chemotactic activity for neutrophils by rat alveolar macrophages after in vitro and in vivo treatment with endotoxin. After in vitro treatment with endotoxin, the chemotactic bioactivity produced by alveolar macrophages increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This increase in chemotactic activity was closely associated with increased levels of steady-state CINC mRNA. About 50% of the chemotactic activity was blocked by treatment with neutralizing concentrations of anti-CINC antibodies. We then evaluated the role of CINC in vivo in the development of neutrophilic alveolitis in rats, which results from a single intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin. In this model, peak numbers of neutrophils are recovered in lung lavage fluid 24 h after endotoxin injection. Steady-state CINC mRNA levels in the lung peaked 2 h after endotoxin injection. Many cytokines whose transcription is induced during sepsis, including IL-8 and MGSA/gro, are thought to be transcriptionally regulated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B). The CINC gene contains a binding site in the promoter region for NF-kB. Therefore, we sought to determine whether NF-kappa B binding to the CINC NK-kappa B motif was increased in nuclear extracts from rat lung lavage cells after exposure to endotoxin using gel mobility shift assays. Increased nuclear NF-kappa B binding activity was detected 2.5 h after in vivo treatment with endotoxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Leukotriene B4 stimulates human polymorphonuclear leukocytes to synthesize and release interleukin-8 in vitro.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a potent chemotactic protein for polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Here we examine whether PMN synthesize and release IL-8 in response to stimulation by leukotriene B4 (LTB4). PMN isolated from normal heparinized peripheral human blood were incubated in RPMI culture medium at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2, with and without LTB4. The culture supernatants were tested for IL-8 bioactivity through chemotactic activity measurements with and without neutralizing anti-IL-8 serum. Immunoreactive IL-8 was quantified by ELISA, and de novo IL-8 synthesis was evaluated by metabolic labeling with [35S]cysteine followed by immunoprecipitation. LTB4 stimulated PMN to produce IL-8 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IL-8 concentrations reached maximal levels after 16 h of incubation with LTB4. Significant increases in IL-8 production occurred with LTB4 doses of 10 to 1,000 nM/ml. Immunoprecipitation of labeled IL-8 documented new synthesis of IL-8 by LTB4-treated PMN. Northern blot analysis of total RNA from PMN using a 30 mer oligonucleotide for IL-8 demonstrated increased mRNA expression in LTB4-stimulated PMN compared with untreated PMN. These data show that peripheral blood PMN can be stimulated by LTB4 to synthesize and secrete biologically active IL-8. PMN and other cells capable of producing LTB4 may induce IL-8 protein production by inflammatory PMN and thereby amplify or perpetuate the acute inflammatory response by recruiting additional PMN into an inflammatory site.

Intracellular growth of Legionella pneumophila within Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff.

Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff supports the intracellular growth of Legionella pneumophila. When acanthamoebae were exposed to L. pneumophila for 1 h and then washed free of unassociated bacteria and placed in liquid culture, levels of viable amoeba-associated legionellae and legionellae free in the culture medium increased by three to four orders of magnitude in 48 to 72 h. However, most of the legionellae remained amoeba-associated and could be cultured only after disruption of the amoebae. Furthermore, legionella viability declined rapidly in amoeba culture medium alone or when bacteria and amoebae were separated by a microporous membrane. Therefore, direct amoeba-legionella contact is required for this growth. Infected acanthamoebae treated with cold acetone to permeabilize them to fluorescent-labeled anti-L. pneumophila antibody appeared to contain far more legionellae than amoebae fixed with glutaraldehyde so as to prevent antibody penetration. Electron micrographs of infected A. castellanii showed numerous bacteria, including some dividing forms, within vacuoles in the cytoplasm. These results together show that A. castellanii is able to provide an intracellular niche for the growth of L. pneumophila.