Endotoxin-refractory liver macrophages secrete tumor necrosis factor-alpha upon viral infection

Endotoxin tolerance is not a LPS-specific phenomenon: partial mimicry with IL-1, IL-10 and TGFβ

Administration of non-lethal doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to experimental animals and humans results for a short period of time in a state of hyporesponsiveness to a second LPS challenge. This phenomenon, known as endotoxin tolerance, has been reproduced in vitro using human monocytes, rendered endotoxin-tolerant following a first incubation with LPS. A further activation by LPS was manifested by a dramatically reduced production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). We report this low responsiveness of LPS pretreated monocytes as an endotoxin non-specific phenomenon. Indeed, TNFα release upon further activation with either killed Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococci, Streptococci) or zymosan was also significantly diminished. This was not the case when phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was used as a second triggering agent, suggesting that the monocyte hyporesponsiveness due to LPS does not affect all activation pathways, particularly that of protein kinase C. On the other hand, both PMA and zymosan pretreatment could reduce a further activation of monocytes by LPS. We investigated whether the first signal(s) delivered by LPS, could be mimicked by some of the LPS-induced cytokines. Preincubation of monocytes with either interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-10 or transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) lower the TNFα production upon further activation with LPS. None of the cytokines alone was as efficient as the LPS molecule, but high levels of tolerization were obtained with combination of IL-1, IL-10 and TGFβ. Neither IL-6, IL-8 nor TNFα led to hyporeactive cells. Our data indicate that endotoxin tolerance is not an LPS-specific phenomenon and that more than one cytokine can contribute to render human monocytes hyporeactive to further activation by LPS.

Prostaglandin E2 affects differently the release of inflammatory mediators from resident macrophages by LPS and muramyl tripeptides

LPS and MTP-PE (liposome-encapsulated N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl-L-alanine-2-:[1',2'dipalmitoyl -sni-glycero-3-(hydroxy-phosphoryl-oxyl)] etylamide) induce in liver macrophages a synthesis and release of TNF-alpha, nitric oxide and prostanoids. Both agents induce an expression of mRNA's encoding TNF-alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and of corresponding proteins. LPS and MTP-PE induce a rapid activation of the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) isoenzymes-1 and -2. Inhibition of map kinase isoenzymes leads to a decreased release of TNF-alpha, nitric oxide and prostaglandin (PG) E2 after both agents. The transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 are strongly activated by LPS within 30 minutes. MTP-PE induces a weak activation of both transcription factors only after 5 hours. Inhibition of NF-kappaB inhibits the LPS- but not the MTP-PE-induced release of TNF-alpha, nitric oxide and PGE2. PGE2 release after LPS is higher than after MTP-PE. Exogenously added PGE2 inhibits the activation of map kinase and TNF-alpha release by LPS, but not by MTP-PE. Release of nitric oxide after LPS and MTP-PE is enhanced after prior addition of PGE2. PGD2 is without any effect. MTP-PE, but not LPS, induces a cytotoxicity of Kupffer cells against P815 tumor target cells. The MTP-PE-induced cytotoxicity is reduced by TNF-alpha neutralizing antibodies, indicating the involvement of TNF-alpha. Thus our results suggest that the different potencies of LPS and MTP-PE as immunomodulators probably result from different actions on Kupffer cells, resulting in differences in the amounts and kinetics of released TNF-alpha and PGE2, and that PGE2 plays an important regulatory role in the action of LPS, but not in the actions of MTP-PE.

Regulation of the mRNA expression for tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rat liver macrophages

Kupffer cells are known to produce tumor necrosis factor-alpha upon stimulation with endotoxin or viruses. This tumor necrosis factor-alpha synthesis is suppressed by prostaglandin E2 or dexamethasone. Using Northern blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, it is demonstrated that endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha synthesis is blocked by prostaglandin E2 or dibutyryl 3':5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate on the transcriptional level. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha itself suppressed endotoxin-evoked tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA expression when given in a narrow time interval with lipopolysaccharide. Interleukin-10 of human or mouse origin also inhibited the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA and protein when given more than 2 h prior to the endotoxin challenge. The suppressive effect of prostaglandin E2 lasted for more than 36 h while IL-10 blocked tumor necrosis factor-alpha production for barely 24 h. Dexamethasone reduced the endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA formation by approximately 50% only, although it led to nearly complete inhibition of the synthesis of the mature protein. Taken together with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction data revealing significant amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA in resting Kupffer cells, an additional posttranscriptional regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha synthesis has to be assumed. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA was not induced by interferon-gamma, interleukin-1 beta or interleukin-6 (the latter two cytokines are also synthesized by Kupffer cells), but a 24-h prestimulation of liver macrophages with interferon-gamma or phorbol ester had a modest priming effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rat liver macrophages express the 55 kDa tumor necrosis factor receptor: modulation by interferon-gamma, lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is an important mediator of various inflammatory and immune responses. Its biological action is crucially dependent on interaction with specific cell surface receptors. Two different receptors for TNF-alpha with molecular masses of 55 and 75 kDa have been described. Here, the presence of a 55 kDa TNF receptor mRNA and the expression of its protein is demonstrated in rat liver Kupffer cells. TNF-alpha receptor was purified from detergent-solubilized rat Kupffer cells by adsorption to recombinant human TNF-alpha-Sepharose. One band of approx. 55 kDa was seen in SDS PAGE. An antibody raised against the 55 kDa TNF receptor bound specifically to the purified receptor as revealed by immunoblot analysis. Using Northern blotting, neither LPS nor TNF-alpha altered the expression of 55 kDa TNF-R mRNA, although the exposure of Kupffer cells to LPS decreased the binding of 125I-labelled TNF-alpha. Interferon-gamma clearly enhanced the level of 55 kDa TNF-R mRNA; this effect was abolished by transcriptional but not by translational inhibitors. The increase in 55 kDa TNF-R mRNA was maximal at 2-4 h of exposure of IFN-gamma. This cytokine also increased the binding of 125I-TNF-alpha to Kupffer cells. On the other hand, the amount of 55 kDa TNF-R transcripts was reduced after treatment with dexamethasone. These data suggest that in Kupffer cells the expression of the 55 kDa TNF-R is regulated at the transcriptional level.