Peptidoglycan recognition protein 1 promotes house dust mite-induced airway inflammation in mice

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2013 Dec;49(6):902-11. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2013-0001OC.

Abstract

Peptidoglycan recognition protein (Pglyrp) 1 is a pattern-recognition protein that mediates antibacterial host defense. Because we had previously shown that Pglyrp1 expression is increased in the lungs of house dust mite (HDM)-challenged mice, we hypothesized that it might modulate the pathogenesis of asthma. Wild-type and Pglyrp1(-/-) mice on a BALB/c background received intranasal HDM or saline, 5 days/week for 3 weeks. HDM-challenged Pglyrp1(-/-) mice showed decreases in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid eosinophils and lymphocytes, serum IgE, and mucous cell metaplasia, whereas airway hyperresponsiveness was not changed when compared with wild-type mice. T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines were reduced in the lungs of HDM-challenged Pglyrp1(-/-) mice, which reflected a decreased number of CD4(+) Th2 cells. There was also a reduction in C-C chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung homogenates from HDM-challenged Pglyrp1(-/-) mice. Furthermore, secretion of CCL17, CCL22, and CCL24 by alveolar macrophages from HDM-challenged Pglyrp1(-/-) mice was markedly reduced. As both inflammatory cells and airway epithelial cells express Pglyrp1, bone marrow transplantation was performed to generate chimeric mice and assess which cell type promotes HDM-induced airway inflammation. Chimeric mice lacking Pglyrp1 on hematopoietic cells, not structural cells, showed a reduction in HDM-induced eosinophilic and lymphocytic airway inflammation. We conclude that Pglyrp1 expressed by hematopoietic cells, such as alveolar macrophages, mediates HDM-induced airway inflammation by up-regulating the production of C-C chemokines that recruit eosinophils and Th2 cells to the lung. This identifies a new family of innate immune response proteins that promotes HDM-induced airway inflammation in asthma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Allergens / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Dermatophagoides / administration & dosage
  • Asthma / etiology*
  • Asthma / immunology
  • Asthma / pathology
  • Chemokines, CC / biosynthesis
  • Cytokines / deficiency
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / immunology*
  • Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / immunology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eosinophils / immunology
  • Eosinophils / pathology
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Macrophages, Alveolar / immunology
  • Macrophages, Alveolar / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Transplantation Chimera / immunology
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Antigens, Dermatophagoides
  • Chemokines, CC
  • Cytokines
  • Pglyrp1 protein, mouse