scholarly journals Experimentally induced anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis is not attenuated in factor B or VISTA deficient mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Flórez-Barrós ◽  
Simon J. Freeley ◽  
El Li Tham ◽  
Michael G. Robson

Background: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis is characterised by antibodies to myeloperoxidase or proteinase 3. Previous work in murine anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis has shown a role for the alternative pathway complement component factor B and the anaphylotoxin C5a. However, mice deficient in properdin, which stabilizes the alternative pathway convertase, were not protected. VISTA-deficient mice were protected in the nephrotoxic nephritis model but the role of VISTA in anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis is unknown. Objectives: This study had two aims. Firstly, we attempted to reproduce previous findings on the role of factor B in anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis. Secondly, we examined the role of VISTA in this model, in order to see if the protection in the nephrotoxic nephritis model extended to anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis. Methods: Anti-myeloperoxidase vasculitis was induced in wildtype, factor B, or VISTA deficient mice. Disease was assessed by quanitfying glomerular crescents and macrophages, in addition to albuminuria and serum creatinine. Results: When wild type and factor B deficient mice were compared, there were no differences in any of the histological or biochemical parameters of disease assessed. Similarly, when wild type or VISTA defiicent mice were compared, there were no differences. Conclusions: Factor B deficient mice were not protected which is in contrast to previous studies. Therefore alternative pathway activation is not essential in this model, under the conditions used in this study. VISTA deficient mice were not protected, suggesting that therapies targetting VISTA may not be effective in vasculitis.

2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1061-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kileen L. Mershon ◽  
Alex Vasuthasawat ◽  
Gregory W. Lawson ◽  
Sherie L. Morrison ◽  
David O. Beenhouwer

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that the alternative pathway of complement activation plays an important role in protection against infection with Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcus gattii does not activate the alternative pathway as well as C. neoformans in vitro. The role of complement in C. gattii infection in vivo has not been reported. In this study, we used mice deficient in complement components to investigate the role of complement in protection against a C. gattii isolate from an ongoing outbreak in northwestern North America. While factor B-deficient mice showed an enhanced rate of death, complement component C3-deficient mice died even more rapidly, indicating that the alternative pathway was not the only complement pathway contributing to protection against disease. Both C3- and factor B-deficient mice had increased fungal burdens in comparison to wild-type mice. Histopathology revealed an overwhelming fungal burden in the lungs of these complement-deficient mice, which undoubtedly prevented efficient gas exchange, causing death. Following the fate of radiolabeled organisms showed that both factor B- and C3-deficient mice were less effective than wild-type mice in clearing organisms. However, opsonization of C. gattii with complement components was not sufficient to prolong life in mice deficient in complement. Killing of C. gattii by macrophages in vitro was decreased in the presence of serum from factor B- and C3-deficient versus wild-type mice. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that complement activation is crucial for survival in C. gattii infection. Additionally, we have shown that the alternative pathway of complement activation is not the only complement pathway contributing to protection.


2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 3131-3139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Woodman ◽  
Anne E. Cooley ◽  
Jennifer C. Miller ◽  
John J. Lazarus ◽  
Kathryn Tucker ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is naturally resistant to its host's alternative pathway of complement-mediated killing. Several different borrelial outer surface proteins have been identified as being able to bind host factor H, a regulator of the alternative pathway, leading to a hypothesis that such binding is important for borrelial resistance to complement. To test this hypothesis, the development of B. burgdorferi infection was compared between factor H-deficient and wild-type mice. Factor B- and C3-deficient mice were also studied to determine the relative roles of the alternative and classical/lectin pathways in B. burgdorferi survival during mammalian infection. While it was predicted that B. burgdorferi should be impaired in its ability to infect factor H-deficient animals, quantitative analyses of bacterial loads indicated that those mice were infected at levels similar to those of wild-type and factor B- and C3-deficient mice. Ticks fed on infected factor H-deficient or wild-type mice all acquired similar numbers of bacteria. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of B. burgdorferi acquired by feeding ticks from the blood of infected mice indicated that none of the bacteria had detectable levels of factor H on their outer surfaces, even though such bacteria express high levels of surface proteins capable of binding factor H. These findings demonstrate that the acquisition of host factor H is not essential for mammalian infection by B. burgdorferi and indicate that additional mechanisms are employed by the Lyme disease spirochete to evade complement-mediated killing.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 7304-7309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilhan Celik ◽  
Cordula Stover ◽  
Marina Botto ◽  
Steffen Thiel ◽  
Sotiria Tzima ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The complement system and the natural antibody repertoire provide a critical first-line defense against infection. The binding of natural antibodies to microbial surfaces opsonizes invading microorganisms and activates complement via the classical pathway. Both defense systems cooperate within the innate immune response. We studied the role of the complement system in the host defense against experimental polymicrobial peritonitis using mice lacking either C1q or factor B and C2. The C1q-deficient mice lacked the classical pathway of complement activation. The factor B- and C2-deficient mice were known to lack the classical and alternative pathways, and we demonstrate here that these mice also lacked the lectin pathway of complement activation. Using inoculum doses adjusted to cause 42% mortality in the wild-type strain, none of the mice deficient in the three activation routes of complement (factor B and C2 deficient) survived (mortality of 100%). Mortality in mice deficient only in the classical pathway of complement activation (C1q deficient) was 83%. Application of further dilutions of the polymicrobial inoculum showed a dose-dependent decrease of mortality in wild-type controls, whereas no changes in mortality were observed in the two gene-targeted strains. These results demonstrate that the classical activation pathway is required for an effective antimicrobial immune defense in polymicrobial peritonitis and that, in the infection model used, the remaining antibody-independent complement activation routes (alternative and lectin pathways) provide a supporting line of defense to gain residual protection in classical pathway deficiency.


mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adria Carbo ◽  
Danyvid Olivares-Villagómez ◽  
Raquel Hontecillas ◽  
Josep Bassaganya-Riera ◽  
Rupesh Chaturvedi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe development of gastritis duringHelicobacter pyloriinfection is dependent on an activated adaptive immune response orchestrated by T helper (Th) cells. However, the relative contributions of the Th1 and Th17 subsets to gastritis and control of infection are still under investigation. To investigate the role of interleukin-21 (IL-21) in the gastric mucosa duringH. pyloriinfection, we combined mathematical modeling of CD4+T cell differentiation within vivomechanistic studies. We infected IL-21-deficient and wild-type mice withH. pyloristrain SS1 and assessed colonization, gastric inflammation, cellular infiltration, and cytokine profiles. ChronicallyH. pylori-infected IL-21-deficient mice had higherH. pyloricolonization, significantly less gastritis, and reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to these parameters in infected wild-type littermates. Thesein vivodata were used to calibrate anH. pyloriinfection-dependent, CD4+T cell-specific computational model, which then described the mechanism by which IL-21 activates the production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-17 during chronicH. pyloriinfection. The model predicted activated expression of T-bet and RORγt and the phosphorylation of STAT3 and STAT1 and suggested a potential role of IL-21 in the modulation of IL-10. Driven by our modeling-derived predictions, we found reduced levels of CD4+splenocyte-specifictbx21androrcexpression, reduced phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3, and an increase in CD4+T cell-specific IL-10 expression inH. pylori-infected IL-21-deficient mice. Our results indicate that IL-21 regulates Th1 and Th17 effector responses during chronicH. pyloriinfection in a STAT1- and STAT3-dependent manner, therefore playing a major role controllingH. pyloriinfection and gastritis.IMPORTANCEHelicobacter pyloriis the dominant member of the gastric microbiota in more than 50% of the world’s population.H. pyloricolonization has been implicated in gastritis and gastric cancer, as infection withH. pyloriis the single most common risk factor for gastric cancer. Current data suggest that, in addition to bacterial virulence factors, the magnitude and types of immune responses influence the outcome of colonization and chronic infection. This study uses a combined computational and experimental approach to investigate how IL-21, a proinflammatory T cell-derived cytokine, maintains the chronic proinflammatory T cell immune response driving chronic gastritis duringH. pyloriinfection. This research will also provide insight into a myriad of other infectious and immune disorders in which IL-21 is increasingly recognized to play a central role. The use of IL-21-related therapies may provide treatment options for individuals chronically colonized withH. pylorias an alternative to aggressive antibiotics.


2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 2534-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wieslaw Kozak ◽  
Anna Kozak

Male C57BL/6J mice deficient in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) genes (knockout) and control (wild-type) mice were implanted intra-abdominally with battery-operated miniature biotelemeters (model VMFH MiniMitter, Sunriver, OR) to monitor changes in body temperature. Intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50 μg/kg) was used to trigger fever in response to systemic inflammation in mice. To induce a febrile response to localized inflammation, the mice were injected subcutaneously with pure turpentine oil (30 μl/animal) into the left hindlimb. Oral administration (gavage) of N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) for 3 days (80 mg · kg−1 · day−1in corn oil) before injection of pyrogens was used to inhibit all three NOSs ( N G-monomethyl-d-arginine acetate salt and corn oil were used as control). In normal male C57BL/6J mice, l-NMMA inhibited the LPS-induced fever by ∼60%, whereas it augmented fever by ∼65% in mice injected with turpentine. Challenging the respective NOS knockout mice with LPS and with l-NMMA revealed that inducible NOS and neuronal NOS isoforms are responsible for the induction of fever to LPS, whereas endothelial NOS (eNOS) is not involved. In contrast, none of the NOS isoforms appeared to trigger fever to turpentine. Inhibition of eNOS, however, exacerbates fever in mice treated with l-NMMA and turpentine, indicating that eNOS participates in the antipyretic mechanism. These data support the hypothesis that nitric oxide is a regulator of fever. Its action differs, however, depending on the pyrogen used and the NOS isoform.


2003 ◽  
Vol 197 (10) ◽  
pp. 1297-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hegen ◽  
Linhong Sun ◽  
Naonori Uozumi ◽  
Kazuhiko Kume ◽  
Mary E. Goad ◽  
...  

Pathogenic mechanisms relevant to rheumatoid arthritis occur in the mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) releases arachidonic acid from cell membranes to initiate the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These inflammatory mediators have been implicated in the development of CIA. To test the hypothesis that cPLA2α plays a key role in the development of CIA, we backcrossed cPLA2α-deficient mice on the DBA/1LacJ background that is susceptible to CIA. The disease severity scores and the incidence of disease were markedly reduced in cPLA2α-deficient mice compared with wild-type littermates. At completion of the study, >90% of the wild-type mice had developed disease whereas none of the cPLA2α-deficient mice had more than one digit inflamed. Furthermore, visual disease scores correlated with severity of disease determined histologically. Pannus formation, articular fibrillation, and ankylosis were all dramatically reduced in the cPLA2α-deficient mice. Although the disease scores differed significantly between cPLA2α mutant and wild-type mice, anti-collagen antibody levels were similar in the wild-type mice and mutant littermates. These data demonstrate the critical role of cPLA2α in the pathogenesis of CIA.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (5) ◽  
pp. H1963-H1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Gabel ◽  
Robert E. London ◽  
Colin D. Funk ◽  
Charles Steenbergen ◽  
Elizabeth Murphy

To investigate the role of 12-lipoxygenase in preconditioning, we examined whether hearts lacking the “leukocyte-type” 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOKO) would be protected by preconditioning. In hearts from wild-type (WT) and 12-LOKO mice, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and 31P NMR were monitored during treatment (±preconditioning) and during global ischemia and reperfusion. Postischemic function (rate-pressure product, percentage of initial value) measured after 20 min of ischemia and 40 min of reperfusion was significantly improved by preconditioning in WT hearts (78 ± 12% in preconditioned vs. 44 ± 7% in nonpreconditioned hearts) but not in 12-LOKO hearts (47 ± 7% in preconditioned vs. 33 ± 10% in nonpreconditioned hearts). Postischemic recovery of phosphocreatine was significantly better in WT preconditioned hearts than in 12-LOKO preconditioned hearts. Preconditioning significantly reduced the fall in intracellular pH during sustained ischemia in both WT and 12-LOKO hearts, suggesting that attenuation of the fall in pH during ischemia can be dissociated from preconditioning-induced protection. Necrosis was assessed after 25 min of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. In WT hearts, preconditioning significantly reduced the area of necrosis (26 ± 4%) compared with nonpreconditioned hearts (62 ± 10%) but not in 12-LOKO hearts (85 ± 3% in preconditioned vs. 63 ± 11% in nonpreconditioned hearts). Preconditioning resulted in a significant increase in 12( S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in WT but not in 12-LOKO hearts. These data demonstrate that 12-lipoxygenase is important in preconditioning.


2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 811-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ou Shi ◽  
Sidney M. Morris ◽  
Huda Zoghbi ◽  
Carl W. Porter ◽  
William E. O'Brien

ABSTRACT Mammals express two isoforms of arginase, designated types I and II. Arginase I is a component of the urea cycle, and inherited defects in arginase I have deleterious consequences in humans. In contrast, the physiologic role of arginase II has not been defined, and no deficiencies in arginase II have been identified in humans. Mice with a disruption in the arginase II gene were created to investigate the role of this enzyme. Homozygous arginase II-deficient mice were viable and apparently indistinguishable from wild-type mice, except for an elevated plasma arginine level which indicates that arginase II plays an important role in arginine homeostasis.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. F741-F747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Hochegger ◽  
Tobias Schätz ◽  
Philipp Eller ◽  
Andrea Tagwerker ◽  
Dorothea Heininger ◽  
...  

T cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). To date existing data about the role of the T cell receptor (Tcr) are contradictory. We hypothesize that the Tcr plays a prominent role in the late phase of renal IRI. Therefore, renal IRI was induced in α/β, γ/δ T cell-deficient and wild-type mice by clamping renal pedicles for 30 min and reperfusing for 24, 48, 72, and 120 h. Serum creatinine increased equally in all three groups 24 h after ischemia but significantly improved in Tcr-deficient animals compared with wild-type controls after 72 h. A significant reduction in renal tubular injury and infiltration of CD4+ T-cells in both Tcr-deficient mice compared with wild-type controls was detected. Infiltration of α/β T cells into the kidney was reduced in γ/δ T cell-deficient mice until 72 h after ischemia. In contrast, γ/δ T cell infiltration was equal in wild-type and α/β T cell-deficient mice, suggesting an interaction between α/β and γ/δ T cells. Data from γ/δ T cell-deficient mice were confirmed by in vivo depletion of γ/δ T cells in C57BL/6 mice. Whereas α/β T cell-deficient mice were still protected after 120 h, γ/δ T cell-deficient mice showed a “delayed wild-type phenotype” with a dramatic increase in kidney-infiltrating α/β, Tcr-expressing CD4+ T-cells. This report provides further evidence that α/β T cells are major effector cells in renal IRI, whereas γ/δ T cells play a role as mediator cells in the first 72 h of renal IRI.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Whitcomb ◽  
Mary DeAgostino ◽  
Mark Ballentine ◽  
Jun Fu ◽  
Martin Tenniswood ◽  
...  

Vitamin D signaling modulates a variety of immune responses. Here, we assessed the role of vitamin D in immunity to experimental leishmaniasis infection in vitamin D receptor-deficient mice (VDRKO). We observed that VDRKO mice on a genetically resistant background have decreasedLeishmania major-induced lesion development compared to wild-type (WT) mice; additionally, parasite loads in infected dermis were significantly lower at the height of infection. Enzymatic depletion of the active form of vitamin D mimics the ablation of VDR resulting in an increased resistance toL. major. Conversely, VDRKO or vitamin D-deficient mice on the susceptible Th2-biased background had no change in susceptibility. These studies indicate vitamin D deficiency, either through the ablation of VDR or elimination of its ligand, 1,25D3, leads to an increase resistance toL. majorinfection but only in a host that is predisposed for Th-1 immune responses.


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