Neutrophils enhance eosinophil migration across monolayers of lung epithelial cells.

During the late-phase asthmatic response eosinophils and neutrophils infiltrate the lungs and cause severe damage. In this study, we investigated in vitro the migration of eosinophils, in the absence and presence of neutrophils, across a monolayer of lung H292 epithelial cells. The migration of eosinophils towards the complement fragment 5a (C5a) was increased when neutrophils were added to the upper compartment of the Transwells, and decreased when neutrophils were added to the lower compartment. Moreover, neutrophils exclusively stimulated eosinophil migration towards C5a, and not towards other chemoattractants such as RANTES, IL-8 or PAF. Neutrophils and eosinophils differed in that neutrophils, but not eosinophils, rapidly inactivated C5a, suggesting that neutrophils in the upper compartment remove part of the active C5a that has diffused into the upper compartment. Indeed, we found that the addition of other C5a-degrading agents, such as human serum or carboxypeptidase B, also enhanced eosinophil migration when added to the upper compartment and decreased migration when added to the lower compartment. Taken together, these results indicate that the presence of neutrophils influences the migratory behaviour of eosinophils in vitro. The neutrophils presumably maintain a proper C5a chemotactic gradient in the transmigration model, which results in enhanced eosinophil chemotaxis.

Sequential migration of neutrophils across monolayers of endothelial and epithelial cells.

In the course of granulocyte-dominated lung inflammation, granulocytes migrate across the endothelium and epithelium of the lung and cause severe tissue damage. To study this process in more detail, we developed a bilayer transmigration model composed of primary human endothelial and lung epithelial cells, simultaneously cultured on opposite sides of Transwell filters. Electron microscopical analysis showed that the morphology of the cells and the expression of junctional proteins remained unaltered and that matrix components were deposited onto the filter. Intriguingly, neutrophil migration was more efficient across the bilayers than across single epithelial monolayers and did not differ from migration across single endothelial monolayers. Coculture experiments showed that endothelial cells stimulated epithelial cells to release IL-6 and that epithelial cells enhanced release of IL-8 from endothelial cells. Together these data reveal bidirectional signaling and enhanced neutrophil migration in a transmigration model of primary human epithelial and endothelial cells.

Triple role of platelet-activating factor in eosinophil migration across monolayers of lung epithelial cells: eosinophil chemoattractant and priming agent and epithelial cell activator.

Infiltration of eosinophils into the lung lumen is a hallmark of allergic asthmatic inflammation. To reach the lung lumen, eosinophils must migrate across the vascular endothelium, through the interstitial matrix, and across the lung epithelium. The regulation of this process is obscure. In this study, we investigated the migration of human eosinophils across confluent monolayers of either human lung H292 epithelial cells or primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Established eosinophil chemoattractants (IL-8, RANTES, platelet-activating factor (PAF), leukotriene B4, and complement fragment 5a (C5a)) or activation of the epithelial cells with IL-1beta induced little eosinophil transmigration (<7% in 2 h). In contrast, addition of PAF in combination with C5a induced extensive (>20%) transepithelial migration of unprimed and IL-5-primed eosinophils. Eosinophil migration assessed in a Boyden chamber assay, i.e., without an epithelial monolayer, was only slightly increased upon addition of PAF and C5a. Preincubation of eosinophils with the PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2086 only inhibited migration of unprimed eosinophils toward PAF and C5a, whereas preincubation of epithelial cells with WEB 2086 abolished migration of both IL-5-primed and unprimed eosinophils. This latter result indicated the presence of PAF receptors on epithelial cells. Indeed, addition of PAF to epithelial cells induced an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+, which was blocked by the PAF receptor antagonists WEB 2086 and TCV-309. Our results show that PAF induces permissive changes in epithelial cells, and that PAF acts as a chemoattractant and priming agent for the eosinophils.

Human monocytes and neutrophils store transforming growth factor-alpha in a subpopulation of cytoplasmic granules.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) exerts several effects on target cells, such as neovascularization promotion and mitogenic signalling. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we show that monocytes and neutrophils, store TGF-alpha in cytoplasmic granules. In monocytes, TGF-alpha did not colocalize with components of peroxidase-positive granules or with albumin of secretory vesicles. Furthermore, no colocalization of TGF-alpha with components of azurophilic or specific granules or secretory vesicles was observed in neutrophils. Activated monocytes and tissue-macrophages contained much less TGF-alpha-positive granules, suggesting TGF-alpha release. Western blot analysis showed a protein of 10 kD in lysates of monocytes. TGF-alpha mRNA was detected in monocytoid cells from the bone marrow by in situ hybridization. This study shows for the first time that monocytes and neutrophils contain TGF-alpha in all stages of maturation and that TGF-alpha in monocytes is stored in a large population of peroxidase-negative granules suggesting a function for these granules. Monocytes and neutrophils are important effector cells in inflammatory reactions. The present finding that these cells contain TGF-alpha might explain complications such as fibrosis and neoplastic transformation, caused by chronic inflammation.