Aging impairs human bone marrow function and cardiac repair following myocardial infarction in a humanized chimeric mouse.

Ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of heart failure, a condition prevalent in older individuals. Following MI, immune cells are mobilized to the myocardium from peripheral lymphoid organs and play an active role in orchestrating repair. While the effect of aging on mouse bone marrow (BM) has been studied, less is known about how aging affects human BM cells and their ability to regulate repair processes. In this study, we investigate the effect aging has on human BM cell responses post-MI using a humanized chimeric mouse model. BM samples were collected from middle aged (mean age 56.4 ± 0.97) and old (mean age 72.7 ± 0.59) patients undergoing cardiac surgery, CD34+/- cells were isolated, and NOD-scid-IL2rγnull (NSG) mice were reconstituted. Three months following reconstitution, the animals were examined at baseline or subjected to coronary artery ligation (MI). Younger patient cells exhibited greater repopulation capacity in the BM, blood, and spleen as well as greater lymphoid cell production. Following MI, CD34+ cell age impacted donor and host cellular responses. Mice reconstituted with younger CD34+ cells exhibited greater human CD45+ recruitment to the heart compared to mice reconstituted with old cells. Increased cellular responses were primarily driven by T-cell recruitment, and these changes corresponded with greater human IFNy levels and reduced mouse IL-1ß in the heart. Age-dependent changes in BM function led to significantly lower survival, increased infarct expansion, impaired host cell responses, and reduced function by 4w post-MI. In contrast, younger CD34+ cells helped to limit remodeling and preserve function post-MI.

Identification of the cellular sensor that stimulates the inflammatory response to sterile cell death.

Cell death provokes a robust inflammatory response. We have previously shown that this response is dependent on IL-1alpha. In this study, we investigate the cellular mechanism used by a host to sense cell death, produce IL-1alpha and also the role of IL-1beta in this response. In almost all cases examined, the IL-1 that stimulated the death-induced inflammatory response came from the host rather than the cell that was dying. In these situations, host bone marrow-derived cells were the key source of the IL-1alpha that was required for the inflammatory response. Conditional cellular depletion and reconstitution in CD11b promoter-driven diphtheria toxin receptor transgenic mice revealed that host macrophages played an essential role in the generation of the inflammatory response and were the source of the required IL-1alpha. In addition, we found a role for IL-1beta in the death-induced inflammatory response and that this cytokine was generated by both bone marrow-derived and radioresistant host cells. The one exception to these findings was that when dendritic cells were injected into mice, they provided a portion of the IL-1 that stimulated inflammation, and this was observed whether the dendritic cells were live or necrotic. Together, these findings demonstrate that macrophages play a key role as the primary sentinels that are required to sense and report cell death in ways that initiate the inflammatory response. One key way they accomplish this important task is by producing IL-1alpha that is needed to initiate the inflammatory response.

A model system to study Connexin 43 in the immune system.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the predominant gap junction protein expressed in immune cells. Previous manuscripts have stated that gap junctions may play a role in antigen cross-presentation, dendritic cell maturation, T cell development, and regulatory T cell function. Many of these previous studies were performed in vitro. In vivo studies were not directly possible in adult mice because Cx43-/- mice die shortly after birth due to a cardiac malformation. To overcome these drawbacks, we have developed a mouse model that deletes Cx43 in the immune system while maintaining normal cardiac function. In our model, irradiated CD45.1+ wild-type mice were reconstituted with Cx43WT, Cx43+/-, or Cx43-/- hematopoietic fetal liver cells that were derived from CD45.2+ mice. The presence of CD45.2 allowed us to identify and track the donor cells following reconstitution. We determined that Cx43+/- and Cx43-/- hematopoietic cells were able to reconstitute irradiated mice as well as Cx43WT cells. Reconstitution was nearly 100% in the thymus and over 90% in the spleen. There appeared to be no difference in thymocyte development or in the ability of lymphocytes to transmigrate to peripheral lymphoid organs. However in response to inflammation, Cx43+/- radiation chimeras had increased peritoneal infiltration compared to Cx43WT and Cx43-/- groups. IgG responses were normal in all groups but the Cx43-/- reconstituted mice had an elevated IgM response. Our data suggests that Cx43 may not be involved in the normal development of the immune system but may regulate certain effector functions in vivo.

Radioresistant cells expressing TLR5 control the respiratory epithelium's innate immune responses to flagellin.

Bacterial products (such as endotoxins and flagellin) trigger innate immune responses through TLRs. Flagellin-induced signalling involves TLR5 and MyD88 and, according to some reports, TLR4. Whereas epithelial and dendritic cells are stimulated by flagellin in vitro, the cell contribution to the in vivo response is still unclear. Here, we studied the respective roles of radioresistant and radiosensitive cells in flagellin-induced airway inflammation in mice. We found that i.n. delivery of flagellin elicits a transient change in respiratory function and an acute, pro-inflammatory response in the lungs, characterized by TLR5- and MyD88-dependent chemokine secretion and neutrophil recruitment. In contrast, TLR4, CD14 and TRIF were not essential for flagellin-mediated responses, indicating that TLR4 does not cooperate with TLR5 in the lungs. Respiratory function, chemokine secretion and airway infiltration by neutrophils were dependent on radioresistant, TLR5-expressing cells. Furthermore, lung haematopoietic cells also responded to flagellin by activating TNF-alpha production. We suggest that the radioresistant lung epithelial cells are essential for initiating early, TLR5-dependent signalling in response to flagellin and thus triggering the lung's innate immune responses.

Unmasking of a protective tumor necrosis factor receptor I-mediated signal in the collagen-induced arthritis model.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relative importance of tumor necrosis factor receptor I (TNFRI) signaling in the hematopoietic tissue compartment in the progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: DBA/1 mice were administered a lethal radiation dose and were then rescued with bone marrow derived from either DBA/1 or TNFRI(-/-) mice. CIA was then induced, and disease progression was characterized. RESULTS: Surprisingly, mice with CIA that received TNFRI(-/-) donor marrow developed increased disease severity as compared with control mice with CIA. This could not be attributed to an increased primary response to collagen or to the contribution of a non-DBA genetic background. In mice that received TNFRI(-/-) bone marrow, histologic markers of advanced disease were evident shortly after initiation of the immune response to collagen and long before clinical evidence of disease. Serum TNFalpha was undetectable, whereas serum interleukin-12 p40 levels were increased, at the end point of the study in mice that received TNFRI(-/-) bone marrow. CONCLUSION: These data raise the intriguing possibility of the existence of an antiinflammatory, TNFRI-mediated circuit in the hematopoietic compartment. This circuit bears a resemblance to the switch in TNFalpha function that has been observed during the resolution of bacterial infections. These data suggest that TNFRI-mediated signals in the radioresistant tissues contribute to disease progression, whereas TNFRI-mediated signals in the radiosensitive tissues can contribute to protection from disease. We thus put forward the hypothesis that the degree of response to TNFalpha blockade in RA is dependent in part on the relative genetic strengths of these 2 pathways.

The immunity of splenic and peritoneal F4/80(+) resident macrophages in mouse mixed allogeneic chimeras.

Mixed allogeneic chimeras are emerging as a prospective approach to induce immune tolerance in clinics. However, the immunological function of macrophages in mixed chimeras has not been evaluated. Using a B6-->BALB/c mixed chimera model, we investigated the phenotype and function of F4/80(+) resident peritoneal exudate macrophage (PEMs) and splenic macrophages (SPMs) in vitro and in vivo. Recipient F4/80(+)PEMs and SPMs in mixed chimeras expressed significantly lower levels of MHC-II, CD54, and CD23 than those in non-chimeric mice before lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Recipient F4/80(+)PEMs and SPMs in mixed chimeras induced normal cell proliferation and delayed-type hypersensitivity of allo-T cells, but they induced more IFN-gamma and IL-2 products and less IL-10 and TGF-beta products of allo-T cells compared with those of non-chimeras. Furthermore, recipient F4/80(+)PEMs and SPMs had significantly higher phagocytotic capacity against chicken red blood cells or allo-T cells than those of controls while they had normal phagocytosis to Escherichia coli. Although some slight but significant alterations of recipient macrophages have been detected, these results provide direct evidences for the efficient immunity of recipient macrophages in mixed allogeneic chimeras. The present study also, for the first time, offered basic information for macrophages maturing in heterogeneous environments.

Origin of macrophages in a kaolin-induced model of rat syringomyelia: a study using radiation bone marrow chimeras.

STUDY DESIGN: Animal experimental study. OBJECTIVE: To study the origin of macrophages in a rat model of syringomyelia. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Syringomyelia is a clinically important condition in which a cystic cavity forms within the spinal cord. This leads to significant delayed neurologic deterioration, which may be manifested as weakness, numbness, or pain. The pathophysiology and mechanism of syrinx formation remain unclear. Human autopsy findings have demonstrated a prominent accumulation of macrophages in relation to the syrinx. Similar observations have also been made in a previously established rat model of syringomyelia. Little is known about the origin and precise functions of these cells. METHODS: Syrinx formation was induced by intraparenchymal injections of kaolin within the cervical spinal cords of 30 DA rat (RT7.1) radiation bone marrow chimeras reconstituted with bone marrow from RT7.2 congeneic donors. The distribution of macrophages was evaluated at survival times of 3 days, 1 week, and 4 weeks. Immunostaining of fresh-frozen spinal cord tissue was performed using specific antibodies against rat macrophage ED1 antigen and RT7.2 allele of CD45. This allowed donor-derived hematogenous (ED1+, RT7.2+) macrophages to be distinguished from native cells (ED1+, RT7.2-). RESULTS: Central canal dilatation was seen from 1 week. This was associated with extensive accumulation of ED1+ macrophages within the spinal cord parenchyma. A large influx of bone marrow-derived (ED1+, RT7.2+) macrophages was observed. However, a considerable proportion of resident microglia (RT7.2-) also upregulated ED1. These activated microglia demonstrated distinct morphologic features. CONCLUSIONS: Large numbers of macrophages were recruited from the bone marrow in kaolin-induced rat syringomyelia. However, a significant number of resident microglia upregulated their ED1 activity and appear to provide a substantial source of macrophages.

A STAT5 modifier locus on murine chromosome 7 modulates engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells during steady-state hematopoiesis.

Homologous disruption of expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5a (STAT5a) and STAT5b (STAT5ab(-/-)) in mice results in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that can engraft irradiated hosts alone but are noncompetitive against wild-type HSCs. To explore mechanisms for this phenotype, we crossed the STAT5 mutations onto an HW80 background congenic to the original C57BL/6 that differs in a small chromosome 7 genomic locus. We previously demonstrated that C57BL/6 or HW80 background STAT5ab(-/-) bone marrow (BM) cells showed equal repopulating function either competitively or noncompetitively in irradiated hosts. However, one intraperitoneal injection of wild-type green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic BM cells into unconditioned newborn STAT5ab(-/-) recipients of either background was sufficient for high-level donor engraftment. Furthermore, haploinsufficiency of STAT5 (STAT5ab(+/-)) allowed improved engraftment over wild-type recipients, indicating a dose-dependent requirement for STAT5 activation. In reciprocal experiments, STAT5ab(-/-) BM was transplanted into nonirradiated W/W(v) hosts. In these mice, C57BL/6 STAT5ab(-/-) BM cells were 10-fold more defective in long-term engraftment than control wild-type BM cells and HW80 STAT5ab(-/-) BM cells were 5- to 10-fold more defective than C57BL/6 STAT5ab(-/-) BM cells. Therefore, we conclude that STAT5 plays a critical role during steady-state HSC engraftment and a chromosome 7 modifier locus regulates this activity.

NK cell tolerance in mixed allogeneic chimeras.

Alterations in inhibitory receptor expression on NK cells have been detected in mixed allogeneic chimeras and in mosaic MHC class I-expressing transgenic mice. However, it is not known whether or not NK cells are tolerant to host and donor Ags in mixed chimeras. In vitro studies have shown a lack of mutual tolerance of separated donor and host NK cells obtained from mixed chimeras. Using BALB/c-->B6 fully MHC-mismatched mixed chimeras, we have now investigated this question in vivo. Neither donor nor host NK cells in mixed chimeras showed evidence for activation, as indicated by expression of B220 and Thy-1.2 on NK cells in chimeric mice at levels similar to those in nonchimeric control mice. Lethally irradiated, established mixed BALB/c--> B6 chimeras rejected a low dose of beta(2)-microglobulin-deficient bone marrow cells (BMC) efficiently but did not reject BALB/c or B6 BMCs. In contrast, similarly conditioned B6 mice rejected both BALB/c and beta(2)-microglobulin-deficient BMCs. Thus, NK cells were specifically tolerant to the donor and the host in mixed allogeneic chimeras. The similar growth of RMA lymphoma cells in both chimeric and control B6 mice further supports the conclusion that donor BALB/c NK cells are tolerant to B6 Ags in chimeras. Administration of a high dose of exogenous IL-2 could not break NK cell tolerance in chimeric mice, suggesting that NK cell tolerance in chimeras is not due to a lack of activating cytokine. No reduction in the level of expression of the activating receptor Ly-49D, recognizing a donor MHC molecule, was detected among recipient NK cells in mixed chimeras. Thus, the present studies demonstrate that NK cells in mixed chimeras are stably tolerant to both donor and host Ags, by mechanisms that are as yet unexplained.

Establishment of modified chimeric mice using GFP bone marrow as a model for neurological disorders.

Chimeric mice stably reconstituted with bone marrow cells represent a good model for analysis of the mechanism of bone marrow cell infiltration in the brain. However, in preparing chimeric mice, irradiation of the recipient mice is necessary to kill their own bone marrow before transplantation, which induces gliosis and inflammatory response by activation of astrocytes and microglia in the brain. Here, we determined the most suitable dose of irradiation associated with the least brain damage before transplantation for reconstitution of chimeric mice, using FACS analysis. Our mouse model of 10 Gy body/5 Gy head irradiation should be useful for investigating the mechanism(s) of microglial activation in various neurological disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Designed heterodimerizing leucine zippers with a ranger of pIs and stabilities up to 10(-15) M.

We have designed a heterodimerizing leucine zipper system to target a radionuclide to prelocalized noninternalizing tumor-specific antibodies. The modular nature of the leucine zipper allows us to iteratively use design rules to achieve specific homodimer and heterodimer affinities. We present circular-dichroism thermal denaturation measurements on four pairs of heterodimerizing leucine zippers. These peptides are 47 amino acids long and contain four or five pairs of electrostatically attractive g <--> e' (i, i' +5) interhelical heterodimeric interactions. The most stable heterodimer consists of an acidic leucine zipper and a basic leucine zipper that melt as homodimers in the micro (T(m) = 28 degrees C) or nanomolar (T(m) = 40 degrees C) range, respectively, but heterodimerize with a T(m) >90 degrees C, calculated to represent femtamolar affinities. Modifications to this pair of acidic and basic zippers, designed to destabilize homodimerization, resulted in peptides that are unstructured monomers at 4 microM and 6 degrees C but that heterodimerize with a T(m) = 74 degrees C or K(d(37)) = 1.1 x 10(-11) M. A third heterodimerizing pair was designed to have a more neutral isoelectric focusing point (pI) and formed a heterodimer with T(m) = 73 degrees C. We can tailor this heterodimerizing system to achieve pharmacokinetics aimed at optimizing targeted killing of cancer cells.

IKKbeta is essential for protecting T cells from TNFalpha-induced apoptosis.

Transcription factor NF-kappaB, whose activation depends on the IKKbeta catalytic subunit of the IkappaB kinase, was assigned with both anti- and proapoptotic functions in T lymphocytes. To critically evaluate these functions, we transferred Ikkbeta-/- or wild-type (wt) fetal liver (FL) stem cells into lethally irradiated mice. Ikkbeta-/- radiation chimeras show thymic rudiments, aberrant lymphoid organs, and absence of T cells. T lymphopoiesis is rescued when Ikkbeta-/- stem cells are cotransferred with wt bone marrow, suggesting that IKKbeta may mediate its lymphopoietic function via extrinsic factors. However, almost normal development of Ikkbeta-/- T cells is observed upon removal of type 1 TNFalpha receptor, indicating that TNFalpha signaling accounts for the absence of Ikkbeta-/- T cells. Indeed, Ikkbeta-/- radiation chimeras exibit elevated circulating TNFalpha, and Ikkbeta-/- thymocytes display increased TNFalpha sensitivity.