scholarly journals Induction of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Human Lung Epithelial Cells during Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection

2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 614-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
W. Craig Hooper ◽  
Donald J. Phillips ◽  
Maria L. Tondella ◽  
Deborah F. Talkington

ABSTRACT Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular human pathogen that causes acute respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Previous studies have established that C. pneumoniae can induce cytokines in mouse and/or human cells, but little information is available on the cytokine response of respiratory epithelial cells, a first line of infection. In this study, heparin treatment of C. pneumoniae significantly reduced its ability to induce interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA in human lung carcinoma cells, indicating that cytadherence is an important early stimulus for induction of proinflammatory mediators. Although the IL-8, gamma interferon, and TNF-α message was consistently induced by infection of A549 cells not treated with heparin, only an elevation of IL-8 protein was detected in A549 supernatants. A549 IL-β and IL-6 mRNA and supernatant protein profiles were not significantly changed by infection. Heat or UV inactivation of C. pneumoniae only partially reduced the cytokine response, and inhibition of C. pneumoniae protein or DNA synthesis did not affect its ability to induce cytokine gene expression. To prevent stress-induced cytokine release by the A549 cells, centrifugation was not utilized for infection experiments. These experiments establish the importance of cytadherence in cytokine release by cells of respiratory epithelial origin and suggest that further work in the area of cytokine mediators is warranted to gain valuable pathogenic and therapeutic insights.

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 3649-3655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
W. Craig Hooper ◽  
Donald J. Phillips ◽  
Deborah F. Talkington

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a small bacterium without a cell wall that causes tracheobronchitis and atypical pneumonia in humans. It has also been associated with chronic conditions, such as arthritis, and extrapulmonary complications, such as encephalitis. Although the interaction of mycoplasmas with respiratory epithelial cells is a critical early phase of pathogenesis, little is known about the cascade of events initiated by infection of respiratory epithelial cells by mycoplasmas. Previous studies have shown that M. pneumoniae can induce proinflammatory cytokines in several different study systems including cultured murine and human monocytes. In this study, we demonstrate that M. pneumoniae infection also induces proinflammatory cytokine expression in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Infection of A549 cells resulted in increased levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA, and both proteins were secreted into culture medium. IL-1β mRNA also increased after infection and IL-1β protein was synthesized, but it remained intracellular. In contrast, levels of IL-6 and gamma interferon mRNA and protein remained unchanged or undetectable. Using protease digestion and antibody blocking methods, we found that M. pneumoniae cytadherence is important for the induction of cytokines. On the other hand, while M. pneumoniae protein synthesis and DNA synthesis do not appear to be prerequisites for the induction of cytokine gene expression, A549 cellular de novo protein synthesis is responsible for the increased cytokine protein levels. These results suggest a novel role for lung epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae infection and provide a better understanding of M. pneumoniae pathology at the cellular level.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (1) ◽  
pp. L30-L38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Araya ◽  
Muneharu Maruyama ◽  
Kazuhiko Sassa ◽  
Tadashi Fujita ◽  
Ryuji Hayashi ◽  
...  

Radiation pneumonitis is a major complication of radiation therapy. However, the detailed cellular mechanisms have not been clearly defined. Based on the recognition that basement membrane disruption occurs in acute lung injury and that matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 can degrade type IV collagen, one of the major components of the basement membrane, we hypothesized that ionizing radiation would modulate MMP-2 production in human lung epithelial cells. To evaluate this, the modulation of MMP-2 with irradiation was investigated in normal human bronchial epithelial cells as well as in A549 cells. We measured the activity of MMP-2 in the conditioned medium with zymography and the MMP-2 mRNA level with RT-PCR. Both of these cells constitutively expressed 72-kDa gelatinolytic activity, corresponding to MMP-2, and exposure to radiation increased this activity. Consistent with the data of zymography, ionizing radiation increased the level of MMP-2 mRNA. This radiation-induced increase in MMP-2 expression was mediated via p53 because the p53 antisense oligonucleotide abolished the increase in MMP-2 activity as well as the accumulation of p53 after irradiation in A549 cells. These results indicate that MMP-2 expression by human lung epithelial cells is involved in radiation-induced lung injury.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 909-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Castro-Garza ◽  
W. Edward Swords ◽  
Russell K. Karls ◽  
Frederick D. Quinn

Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains CDC1551 and Erdman were used to assess cytotoxicity in infected A549 human alveolar epithelial cell monolayers. Strain CDC1551 was found to induce qualitatively greater disruption of A549 monolayers than was strain Erdman, although total intracellular and cell-associated bacterial growth rates over the course of the infections were not significantly different. Cell-free culture supernatants from human monocytic cells infected with either of the 2 M. tuberculosis strains produced a cytotoxic effect on A549 cells, correlating with the amount of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) released by the infected monocytes. The addition of TNF-α-neutralizing antibodies to the supernatants from infected monocyte cultures did prevent the induction of a cytotoxic effect on A549 cells overlaid with this mixture but did not prevent the death of epithelial cells when added prior to infection with M. tuberculosis bacilli. Thus, these data agree with previous observations that lung epithelial cells infected with M. tuberculosis bacilli are rapidly killed in vitro. In addition, the data indicate that some of the observed epithelial cell killing may be collateral damage; the result of TNF-α released from M. tuberculosis-infected monocytes.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (15) ◽  
pp. 8146-8158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santanu Bose ◽  
Mausumi Basu ◽  
Amiya K. Banerjee

ABSTRACT Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3) is an airborne pathogen that infects human lung epithelial cells from the apical (luminal) plasma membrane domain. In the present study, we have identified cell surface-expressed nucleolin as a cellular cofactor required for the efficient cellular entry of HPIV-3 into human lung epithelial A549 cells. Nucleolin was enriched on the apical cell surface domain of A549 cells, and HPIV-3 interacted with nucleolin during entry. The importance of nucleolin during HPIV-3 replication was borne out by the observation that HPIV-3 replication was significantly inhibited following (i) pretreatment of cells with antinucleolin antibodies and (ii) preincubation of HPIV-3 with purified nucleolin prior to its addition to the cells. Moreover, HPIV-3 cellular internalization and attachment assays performed in the presence of antinucleolin antibodies and purified nucleolin revealed the requirement of nucleolin during HPIV-3 internalization but not during attachment. Thus, these results suggest that nucleolin expressed on the surfaces of human lung epithelial A549 cells plays an important role during HPIV-3 cellular entry.


2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 1144-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Remuzgo-Martínez ◽  
Lilian Pilares-Ortega ◽  
Lorena Álvarez-Rodríguez ◽  
Maitane Aranzamendi-Zaldunbide ◽  
Daniel Padilla ◽  
...  

Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic human pathogen associated with immunosuppressed people. While the interaction of R. equi with macrophages has been comprehensively studied, little is known about its interactions with non-phagocytic cells. Here, we characterized the entry process of this bacterium into human lung epithelial cells. The invasion is inhibited by nocodazole and wortmannin, suggesting that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway and microtubule cytoskeleton are important for invasion. Pre-incubation of R. equi with a rabbit anti-R. equi polyclonal antiserum resulted in a dramatic reduction in invasion. Also, the invasion process as studied by immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy indicates that R. equi make initial contact with the microvilli of the A549 cells, and at the structural level, the entry process was observed to occur via a zipper-like mechanism. Infected lung epithelial cells upregulate the expression of cytokines IL-8 and IL-6 upon infection. The production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly enhanced in culture supernatants from cells infected with non-mucoid plasmid-less strains when compared with cells infected with mucoid strains. These results demonstrate that human airway epithelial cells produce pro-inflammatory mediators against R. equi isolates.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hodges ◽  
Kempen ◽  
McCaig ◽  
Parker ◽  
Mantis ◽  
...  

Ricin is a member of the ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) family of toxins and is classified as a biothreat agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Inhalation, the most potent route of toxicity, triggers an acute respiratory distress-like syndrome that coincides with near complete destruction of the lung epithelium. We previously demonstrated that the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL; CD253) sensitizes human lung epithelial cells to ricin-induced death. Here, we report that ricin/TRAIL-mediated cell death occurs via apoptosis and involves caspases -3, -7, -8, and -9, but not caspase-6. In addition, we show that two other TNF family members, TNF-α and Fas ligand (FasL), also sensitize human lung epithelial cells to ricin-induced death. While ricin/TNF-α- and ricin/FasL-mediated killing of A549 cells was inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor, zVAD-fmk, evidence suggests that these pathways were not caspase-dependent apoptosis. We also ruled out necroptosis and pyroptosis. Rather, the combination of ricin plus TNF-α or FasL induced cathepsin-dependent cell death, as evidenced by the use of several pharmacologic inhibitors. We postulate that the effects of zVAD-fmk were due to the molecule’s known off-target effects on cathepsin activity. This work demonstrates that ricin-induced lung epithelial cell killing occurs by distinct cell death pathways dependent on the presence of different sensitizing cytokines, TRAIL, TNF-α, or FasL.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (1) ◽  
pp. L176-L183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Ishii ◽  
Takeshi Fujii ◽  
James C. Hogg ◽  
Shizu Hayashi ◽  
Hiroshi Mukae ◽  
...  

Alveolar macrophages (AM) play a key role in clearing atmospheric particulates from the lung surface and stimulating epithelial cells to produce proinflammatory mediators. The present study examines the role of “acute response” cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β released by AM exposed to ambient particulate matter with a diameter of <10 μm (PM10) in amplifying the proinflammatory mediator expression by A549 cells and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC). The results showed that supernatants from human AM incubated 24 h with PM10(100 μg/ml) contained more TNF-α, IL-1β, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, IL-6, and IL-8 than nonexposed AM supernatants. The 3-h treatment of A549 cells with PM10-exposed AM supernatants increased TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, regulated on activation normal T-cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), and leukemia inhibitory factor mRNA compared with the treatment with nonexposed AM supernatants and, compared with untreated A549 cells, additionally increased ICAM-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 mRNA. Preincubating PM10-exposed AM supernatants with anti-IL-1β antibodies reduced all the above mediators as well as VEGF mRNA expression ( P < 0.05), while anti-TNF-α antibodies were less effective ( P > 0.05), and the combination of the two antibodies most effective. When HBEC were treated similarly, anti-TNF-α antibodies had the greatest effect. In A549 cells PM10-exposed AM supernatants increased NF-κB, activator protein (AP)-1 and specificity protein 1 binding, while anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-1β antibodies reduced NF-κB and AP-1 binding. We conclude that AM-derived TNF-α and IL-1β provide a major stimulus for the production of proinflammatory mediators by lung epithelial cells and that their relative importance may depend on the type of epithelial cell target.


Author(s):  
Maizbha U. Ahmed ◽  
Mohammad A. K. Azad ◽  
Mengyao Li ◽  
Darren J. Creek ◽  
Meiling Han ◽  
...  

Inhaled polymyxins are associated with toxicity in human lung epithelial cells involving multiple apoptotic pathways. However, the mechanism of polymyxin-induced pulmonary toxicity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate polymyxin-induced metabolomic perturbations in human lung epithelial A549 cells. A549 cells were treated with 0.5 or 1.0 mM of polymyxin B or colistin for 1, 4, and 24 h. Cellular metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS and significantly perturbed metabolites (log 2 fold change [FC]≥1, FDR≤0.2) and key pathways were identified relative to untreated control samples. At 1 and 4 h very few significant changes in metabolites were observed relative to the untreated control cells. At 24 h, taurine (log 2 FC = -1.34±0.64) and hypotaurine (log 2 FC = -1.20±0.27) were significantly decreased by 1.0 mM polymyxin B. The reduced form of glutathione (GSH) was significantly depleted by 1.0 mM of polymyxin B at 24 h (log 2 FC = -1.80±0.42). Conversely, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) was significantly increased by 1.0 mM of both polymyxin B (log 2 FC = 1.38±0.13 at 4 h and 2.09 ± 0.20 at 24 h) and colistin (log 2 FC = 1.33±0.24 at 24 h). L-carnitine was significantly decreased by 1.0 mM of both polymyxins at 24 h, as were several key metabolites involved in biosynthesis and degradation of choline and ethanolamine (log 2 FC≤-1); several phosphatidylserines were also increased (log 2 FC≥1). Polymyxins perturbed key metabolic pathways maintaining cellular redox balance, mitochondrial β-oxidation, and membrane lipid biogenesis. These mechanistic findings may assist in developing new pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic strategies to attenuate the pulmonary toxicities of inhaled polymyxins and the discovery of new-generation polymyxins.


2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Ming Song ◽  
Wayne Connor ◽  
Shakiba Jalal ◽  
Karsten Hokamp ◽  
Andrew A. Potter

Streptococcus pneumoniae infection starts from the respiratory tract where interaction with host epithelial cells occurs. To gain more insights on pneumococcal pathogenesis, an oligonucleotide (oligo)-based microarray was used to investigate gene expression changes of one serotype 3 encapsulated pathogenic S. pneumoniae strain 82 and one unencapsulated avirulent S. pneumoniae strain R6 upon exposure to human lung epithelial cells (A549) for 1 and 3 h, respectively. We observed that genes associated with many functional categories were differentially regulated in strain 82, such as genes in pathogenesis, cell envelope, transcription, translation, transport, metabolism, and unknown functions. In contrast, few genes were changed in strain R6 except for genes in ribonucleotide biosynthesis and unknown functions. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed the microarray results for most of the genes tested. To further characterize functions of the selected genes, knockout mutants were constructed in strain R6. We demonstrated that 2 genetic loci, SP_2170 (AdcB, zinc ABC transporter) and SP_0157 (hypothetical protein), were involved in adherence to A549 cells. These data suggest that divergent gene expression changes occur in S. pneumoniae pathogenic and avirulent strains during interaction with human lung epithelial cells. Some of those genes are involved in pneumococcal pathogenesis.


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