scholarly journals The Absence of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling in C3H/HeJ Mice Predisposes Them to Overwhelming Rickettsial Infection and Decreased Protective Th1 Responses

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 3717-3724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Jordan ◽  
Michael E. Woods ◽  
Juan Olano ◽  
David H. Walker

ABSTRACT The importance of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in immunity to rickettsiae remains elusive. To investigate the role of TLR4 in protection against rickettsioses, we utilized C3H/HeJ mice, which are naturally defective in TLR4 signaling, and compared the responses of C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice following intravenous inoculation with Rickettsia conorii. Mice genetically defective in TLR4 signaling developed overwhelming, fatal rickettsial infections when given an inoculum that was nonfatal for TLR4-competent mice. In addition, mice lacking the ability to signal through TLR4 had significantly greater rickettsial burdens in vivo. Moreover, we observed greater concentrations of the cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, and IL-17 in the sera of mice with intact TLR4 function as well as significantly greater quantities of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Additionally, we also observed that Th17 cells were present only in TLR4-competent mice, suggesting an important role for TLR4 ligation in the activation of this subset. In agreement with these data, we also observed significantly greater percentages of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells in the spleen during infection in TLR4-defective mice. Together, these data demonstrate that, while rickettsiae do not contain endotoxic lipopolysaccharide, they nevertheless initiate TLR4-specific immune responses, and these responses are important in protection.

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 6157-6164 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kenneth Haines ◽  
Blayne Amir Sayed ◽  
Melissa S. Rohrer ◽  
Verena Olivier ◽  
Karla J. Fullner Satchell

ABSTRACT Following intranasal inoculation, Vibrio cholerae KFV101 (ΔctxAB ΔhapA ΔhlyA ΔrtxA) colonizes and stimulates tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in mice, similar to what occurs with isogenic strain P4 (ΔctxAB), but is less virulent and stimulates reduced levels of IL-6, demonstrating a role for accessory toxins in pathogenesis. Morbidity is enhanced in C3H/HeJ mice, indicating that Toll-like receptor 4 is important for infection containment.


2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 6650-6658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul B. Mann ◽  
Kelly D. Elder ◽  
Mary J. Kennett ◽  
Eric T. Harvill

ABSTRACT Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates the response to lipopolysaccharide, and its activation induces the expression of a large number of inflammatory genes, many of which are also induced by other pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Interestingly, the subset of genes that are dependent on TLR4 for optimal expression during gram-negative bacterial infection has not been determined. We have previously shown that TLR4-deficient mice rapidly develop acute pneumonia after inoculation with Bordetella bronchiseptica, suggesting that TLR4 is required for expression of early elicited gene products in this model. Microarray analysis with macrophages derived from wild-type and TLR4-deficient mice was used to identify genes whose expression, within 1 h of bacterial exposure, is dependent on TLR4. The results of this investigation suggest that TLR4 is not required for the majority of the transcriptional response to B. bronchiseptica. However, early tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA expression is primarily dependent on TLR4 and in vitro and in vivo protein levels substantiate this finding. TLR4-deficient mice and TNF-α−/− mice are similarly susceptible to infection with relatively low doses of B. bronchiseptica and in vivo neutralization studies indicate that it is the TLR4-dependent early elicited TNF-α response that is critical for preventing severe pneumonia and limiting bacterial growth. These results suggest that one critical role for TLR4 is the generation of a robust but transient TNF-α response that is critical to innate host defense during acute gram-negative respiratory infection.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Secher ◽  
F. Rodrigues Coelho ◽  
N. Noulin ◽  
A. Lino dos Santos Franco ◽  
V. Quesniaux ◽  
...  

Inhaled bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) induce an acute tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α-) dependent inflammatory response in the murine airways mediated by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) via the myeloid differentiation MyD88 adaptor protein pathway. However, the contractile response of the bronchial smooth muscle and the role of endogenous TNFα in this process have been elusive. We determined the in vivo respiratory pattern of C57BL/6 mice after intranasal LPS administration with or without the presence of increasing doses of methacholine (MCh). We found that LPS administration altered the basal and MCh-evoked respiratory pattern that peaked at 90 min and decreased thereafter in the next 48 h, reaching basal levels 7 days later. We investigated in controlled ex vivo condition the isometric contraction of isolated tracheal rings in response to MCh cholinergic stimulation. We observed that preincubation of the tracheal rings with LPS for 90 min enhanced the subsequent MCh-induced contractile response (hyperreactivity), which was prevented by prior neutralization of TNFα with a specific antibody. Furthermore, hyperreactivity induced by LPS depended on an intact epithelium, whereas hyperreactivity induced by TNFα was well maintained in the absence of epithelium. Finally, the enhanced contractile response to MCh induced by LPS when compared with control mice was not observed in tracheal rings from TLR4- or TNF- or TNF-receptor-deficient mice. We conclude that bacterial endotoxin-mediated hyperreactivity of isolated tracheal rings to MCh depends upon TLR4 integrity that signals the activation of epithelium, which release endogenous TNFα.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruyan Wu ◽  
Jun-Xu Li

The emphasis of neuronal alterations and adaptations have long been the main focus of the studies of the mechanistic underpinnings of drug addiction. Recent studies have begun to appreciate the role of innate immune system, especially toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in drug reward-associated behaviors and physiology. Drugs like opioids, alcohol and psychostimulants activate TLR4 signaling and subsequently induce proinflammatory responses, which in turn contributes to the development of drug addiction. Inhibition of TLR4 or its downstream effectors attenuated the reinforcing effects of opioids, alcohol and psychostimulants, and this effect is also involved in the withdrawal and relapse-like behaviors of different drug classes. However, conflicting results also argue that TLR4-related immune response may play a minimal part in drug addiction. This review discussed the preclinical evidence that whether TLR4 signaling is involved in multiple drug classes action and the possible mechanisms underlying this effect. Moreover, clinical studies which examined the potential efficacy of immune-base pharmacotherapies in treating drug addiction are also discussed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 2025-2030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuhua Yang ◽  
Shunji Sugawara ◽  
Toshihiko Monodane ◽  
Masahiro Nishijima ◽  
Yoshiyuki Adachi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Teichuronic acid (TUA), a component of the cell walls of the gram-positive organism Micrococcus luteus (formerlyMicrococcus lysodeikticus), induced inflammatory cytokines in C3H/HeN mice but not in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-resistant C3H/HeJ mice that have a defect in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene, both in vivo and in vitro, similarly to LPS (T. Monodane, Y. Kawabata, S. Yang, S. Hase, and H. Takada, J. Med. Microbiol. 50:4–12, 2001). In this study, we found that purified TUA (p-TUA) induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in murine monocytic J774.1 cells but not in mutant LR-9 cells expressing membrane CD14 at a lower level than the parent J774.1 cells. The TNF-α-inducing activity of p-TUA in J774.1 cells was completely inhibited by anti-mouse CD14 monoclonal antibody (MAb). p-TUA also induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) in human monocytic THP-1 cells differentiated to macrophage-like cells expressing CD14. Anti-human CD14 MAb, anti-human TLR4 MAb, and synthetic lipid A precursor IVA, an LPS antagonist, almost completely inhibited the IL-8-inducing ability of p-TUA, as well as LPS, in the differentiated THP-1 cells. Reduced p-TUA did not exhibit any activities in J774.1 or THP-1 cells. These findings strongly suggested that M. luteus TUA activates murine and human monocytic cells in a CD14- and TLR4-dependent manner, similar to LPS.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 3100-3108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengchan Han ◽  
Heping Yu ◽  
Cong Tian ◽  
Shengli Li ◽  
Michael R. Jacobs ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common pathogen associated with otitis media. To examine the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in host defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in the middle ear, wild-type (WT; C57BL/6) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2−/−) mice were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 × 106 CFU) through the tympanic membrane. Nineteen of 37 TLR2−/− mice showed bacteremia and died within 3 days after the challenge, compared to only 4 of 32 WT mice that died. Of those that survived, more severe hearing loss in the TLR2−/− mice than in the WT mice was indicated by an elevation in auditory-evoked brain stem response thresholds at 3 or 7 days postinoculation. The histological pathology was characterized by effusion and tissue damage in the middle ear, and in the TLR2−/− mice, the outcome of infection became more severe at 7 days. At both 3 and 7 days postchallenge, the TLR2−/− mice had higher blood bacterial titers than the WT mice (P < 0.05), and typical bacteria were identified in the effusion from both ears of both mouse groups by acridine orange staining. Moreover, by 3 days postchallenge, the mRNA accumulation levels of NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1β, MIP1α, Muc5ac, and Muc5b were significantly lower in the ears of TLR2−/− mice than in WT mice. In summary, TLR2−/− mice may produce relatively low levels of proinflammatory cytokines following pneumococcal challenge, thus hindering the clearance of bacteria from the middle ear and leading to sepsis and a high mortality rate. This study provides evidence that TLR2 is important in the molecular pathogenesis and host response to otitis media.


Circulation ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 106 (15) ◽  
pp. 1985-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aryan Vink ◽  
Arjan H. Schoneveld ◽  
Jelger J. van der Meer ◽  
Ben J. van Middelaar ◽  
Joost P.G. Sluijter ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1638-1646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natália B. Carvalho ◽  
Fernanda S. Oliveira ◽  
Fernanda V. Durães ◽  
Leonardo A. de Almeida ◽  
Manuela Flórido ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTo investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in innate immunity toMycobacteriumavium, TLR9, TLR2, and MyD88 knockout (KO) mice were infected with this bacterium. Bacterial burdens were higher in the spleens, livers, and lungs of infected TLR9 KO mice than in those of C57BL/6 mice, indicating that TLR9 is required for efficient control ofM.aviuminfection. However, TLR9 KO or TLR2 KO spleen cells displayed normalM.avium-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses. This finding was confirmed by determining the number of splenic CD4+T cells producing IFN-γ by flow cytometry. Furthermore, TLR2 and MyD88, but not TLR9, played a major role in interleukin-12 and TNF-α production byM.avium-infected macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). We also found that major histocompatibility complex class II molecule expression on DCs is regulated by TLR2 and MyD88 signaling but not by TLR9. Finally, lack of TLR9, TLR2, or MyD88 reduced the numbers of macrophages, epithelioid cells, and lymphocytes inM.avium-induced granulomas but only MyD88 deficiency affected the number of liver granulomas. In summary, our data demonstrated that the involvement of TLR9 in the control ofM.aviuminfection is not related to the induction of Th1 responses.


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