Effective immunosuppressive therapy is essential to prevent transplant rejection but renders patients vulnerable to opportunistic infections. The present study investigates the effects of common immunosuppressive drugs on the course of septic peritonitis in an experimental mouse model. We show that treatment with a combination of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone resulted in highly elevated lethality of septic peritonitis. When immunosuppressive drugs were combined with antibiotic therapy, however, mice were almost completely protected. The combination of mycophenolate mofetil and methylprednisolone was shown to be required and sufficient to improve outcome of septic peritonitis in the presence of antibiotic therapy. Combined immunosuppressive and antibiotic therapy, but not antibiotic therapy alone, resulted in enhanced bacterial clearance. These beneficial effects were linked to an elevated expression of activation markers and an increased production of reactive oxygen metabolites by peritoneal neutrophils and correlated with a reduced messenger RNA expression of the inhibitory cytokine IL-22. In contrast, systemic or peritoneal levels of IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha, keratinocyte chemoattractant, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and splenic messenger RNA levels of IFN-gamma were not influenced by the immunosuppressive therapy. These results therefore suggest that combined immunosuppressive and antibiotic therapy may improve bacterial clearance and survival of septic peritonitis by a mechanism that involves enhanced activation and antimicrobial activity of neutrophils and reduced production of IL-22.

Although it is generally accepted that early defense mechanisms are controlled by cells of the innate immune system, T cells were found to be crucial for host resistance against acute septic peritonitis. However, the mechanisms by which T cells mediate protection are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate mice deficient for recombinase-activating gene (RAG) 1, which lack mature B and T cells, showed enhanced susceptibility and impaired bacterial clearance in a model of acute septic peritonitis. Whereas B-cell-deficient muMT mice showed no significant difference in the survival rate after peritonitis induction, T-cell-deficient Balb/c nude mice exhibited reduced survival. Importantly, analysis of cytokine production in both RAG-1-deficient and T-cell-deficient nude mice indicated strongly attenuated production of IL-12, interferon (IFN) gamma, and IL-10 during sepsis. Reduced cytokine levels were detected both in serum and in organ extracts of septic mice. Direct analysis of T cells isolated from septic mice demonstrated that T cells respond to an acute septic challenge by increased production of IFN-gamma and IL-10. Moreover, bacterial numbers in spleens of septic RAG-1-deficient mice were significantly increased as compared with controls, suggesting that T cells are engaged in the early antibacterial immune defense during sepsis, possibly via the production of IFN-gamma. In summary, these results imply that T cells contribute to protective immune responses against acute systemic infections via their ability to produce crucial immune mediators.

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a recently discovered proinflammatory cytokine, structurally related to IL-10. Since IL-22 is induced by lipopolysaccharide in vivo, we studied the role of IL-22 in a model of polymicrobial peritonitis. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed marked induction of IL-22 and IL-22 receptor in spleen and kidney during the course of sepsis. The biological activity of IL-22 is modulated by IL-22-binding protein (IL-22BP), which is considered a natural antagonist of IL-22. To further analyze the role of IL-22 during septic peritonitis, mice were treated with recombinant IL-22BP generated as Fcgamma2a fusion protein. IL-22BP-Fc completely blocked IL-22-induced STAT3 activation in hepatocytes in vitro. Treatment of mice with IL-22BP-Fc 4 h before sepsis induction led to enhanced accumulation of neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes and a reduced bacterial load at the site of infection. In addition, IL-22 blockade led to an enhanced bacterial clearance in liver and kidney and reduced kidney injury. These results imply an important proinflammatory role of IL-22 during septic peritonitis, contributing to bacterial spread and organ failure. IL-22 therefore appears to play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes in vivo.

ABSTRACT Sepsis leads to the rapid induction of proinflammatory signaling cascades by activation of the innate immune system through Toll-like receptors (TLR). To characterize the role of TLR signaling through MyD88 for sepsis-induced transcriptional activation, we investigated gene expression during polymicrobial septic peritonitis by microarray analysis. Comparison of gene expression profiles for spleens and livers from septic wild-type and MyD88-deficient mice revealed striking organ-specific differences. Whereas MyD88 deficiency strongly reduced sepsis-induced gene expression in the liver, gene expression in the spleen was largely independent of MyD88, indicating organ-specific transcriptional regulation during polymicrobial sepsis. In addition to genes regulated by MyD88 in an organ-dependent manner, we also identified genes that exhibited an organ-independent influence of MyD88 and mostly encoded cytokines and chemokines. Notably, the expression of interferon (IFN)-regulated genes was markedly increased in septic MyD88-deficient mice compared to that in septic wild-type controls. Expression of IFN-regulated genes was dependent on the adapter protein TRIF. These results suggest that the influence of MyD88 on gene expression during sepsis strongly depends on the organ compartment affected by inflammation and that the lack of MyD88 may lead to disbalance of the expression of IFN-regulated genes.

TLRs are considered important for the control of immune responses during endotoxic shock or polymicrobial sepsis. Signaling by TLRs may proceed through the adapter proteins MyD88 or TIR domain-containing adaptor inducinng IFN-beta. Both pathways can lead to the production of type I IFNs (IFN-alpha beta). In the present study, the role of the type I IFN pathway for host defense and immune pathology in sepsis was investigated using a model of mixed bacterial peritonitis. Systemic levels of IFN-alpha beta protein were markedly elevated during septic peritonitis. More detailed analyses revealed production of IFN-beta, but not IFN-alpha subtypes, and identified CD11b(+)CD11c(-) macrophage-like cells as major producers of IFN-beta. The results further demonstrate that in IFN-alpha beta receptor I chain (IFNARI)-deficient mice, the early recruitment of neutrophils to the infected peritoneal cavity was augmented, most likely due to an, increased local production of MCP-1 and leukotriene B-4. In the absence of IFNARI, peritoneal neutrophils also exhibited enhanced production of reactive oxygen intermediates and elevated expression of Mac-1. Conversely, administration of recombinant IFN-beta resulted in reduced leukotriene B-4 levels and decreased peritoneal neutrophil recruitment and activation. Analysis of the cytokine response to septic peritonitis revealed that IFNARI deficiency strongly attenuated late, but not early, hyperinflammation. In accordance with these findings, bacterial clearance and overall survival of IFNARI(-/-) mice were improved. Therefore, the present study reveals critical functions of the type I IFN pathway during severe mixed bacterial infections leading to sepsis. The results suggest that type I IFN exerts predominantly adverse effects under these conditions.

The innate immune system uses Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to activate and instruct immune responses against microbial pathogens. Administration of TLR agonists to mice induces a state of hyporesponsiveness, or tolerance, characterized by reduced cytokine production upon subsequent second challenge. The present study examined the effects of pre-treatment of mice with TLR2-dependent stimuli on the host defense against acute polymicrobial infection. Immune priming of mice with macrophage-activating lipopeptide-2 (MALP-2) 4 days prior to infection greatly improves survival and bacterial clearance in a model of polymicrobial septic peritonitis which is associated with enhanced accumulation of effector neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity. Further, the systemic and local production of both myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-dependently and MyD88-independently produced cytokines was substantially diminished, but not completely absent, in TLR2-treated mice. While pre-treatment with MALP-2 does not involve differential expression of TLR and IL-1R-associated kinase proteins, ST2, a negative regulator of TLR signaling, was up-regulated after treatment of mice with either MALP-2 or N-alpha-palmitoyl-S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-(2RS)-propyl]-L-cysteine. Therefore, ST2 may be a mechanism, among others, to attenuate the sepsis-induced cytokine burst. Thus, these results suggest that immune protection in mice after pre-treatment with TLR2-dependent stimuli involves the induction of enhanced pathogen defense by neutrophils. In addition, up-regulation of ST2 could contribute to the diminished cytokine production.

Chemokine receptors are important for recruiting leukocytes to sites of infection and may contribute to immune cell activation. The present study investigated the role of the chemokine receptor CCR2 in polymicrobial septic peritonitis. The results showed that peritoneal production of the CCR2 ligands CCL2 and CCL12 in septic mice was largely independent of the common Toll-like receptor signaling adaptor MyD88. Antibody blockade of CCR2 reduced the recruitment of macrophages and neutrophils to the infected peritoneal cavities of both wild-type and MyD88-deficient mice, suggesting that CCR2 engagement contributes to the MyD88-independent cellular response against polymicrobial septic peritonitis. Notably, administration of blocking CCR2 antibodies markedly increased, local and systemic IL-10 levels in septic wild-type mice, whereas IL-10 was not detected in MyD88-deficient mice irrespective of whether CCR2 was blocked or not. Inhibition of CCR2 directly augmented Toll-like receptor-induced IL-10, but not TNF and IL-6, production of macrophages in vitro. Concomitant with enhanced IL-10 production, CCR2 blockade caused impaired bacterial clearance and aggravated kidney injury in wild-type, but not MyD88-null mice. These results indicate that CCR2 engagement modulates the innate immune response to polymicrobial septic peritonitis by both MyD88-dependent and -independent processes and suggest that a major function of CCR2 in sepsis is to attenuate IL-10 production and IL-10-mediated suppression of host defense.

Aim: In spite of modern antibiotic treatment peritonitis and sepsis are among the most feared complications after major surgery. Recently large effort has been put into the idea of positively influencing the course of sepsis by eliminating certain cytokines, or by blocking their receptors with specific antibodies. The clinical results however, were disappointing. A different approach with the intent to reduce mortality due to sepsis is to modulate the cytokine response by pretreatment with bacterial components (PAMPs). PAMPsare specifically recognized by toll-like receptors (TLRs). It is known that immunepriming with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a ligand ofthe TLR4-Receptor, induces tolerance in the murine polymicrobial sepsis model. The present work investigates the protective effect of TLR2 agonists in the murine polymicrobial sepsis model. Material and methods: 8- 10 week old C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with an intraperitoneal injection of the TLR2 ligands mycoplasma associated lipopeptide (MALP-2) (100 ng/g BW) or Pam3-Cys-SK4 {Pam3-Cys) (2.5 ~g BW) dissolved in PBS. A septic focus was induced by surgical insertion of a 16G stent into the colon ascendens (colon ascendens stent peritonitis/CASP) 4 days after pretreatment. Controls were solely treated with PBS. In the following the course of sepsis and survival were assessed. TNF-a, IL-10 and IL-12 serum levels were measured 3, 6 and 12 hours after CASP by ELISA. The local immune-response was assessed by analysis of granulocytes in the peritoneal cavity by FACS-analysis and by quantification of the bacterialload. As markers for the acute systemic proinflammatory effect, which is a serious side-effect of LPS application, TNF-a and IL-1 0 serum levels were measured 2 and 6 hours after treatment. Results: The acute response to pretreatment, as measured by an increase in TNF-a and IL-1 0 serum levels 2 hours after injection, could not be observed and therefore be ignored compared to the marked increase of cytokines after LPS-application. Animals pretreated with MALP-2 and Pam3-Cys showed significantly high er rates of survival compared to controls (MALP-2: p < 0.001, Pam3-Cys: p = 0.03; log-rank-test). The TNF-a , IL-10 and IL-12 response after CASP was significantly weaker compared to controls. The pretreated mice also showed a significantly enhanced accumulation of neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity and a lower bacterialload. Summary: In the present study, we investigated the effects of in vivo priming with TLR2-agonists on the immune defense against polymicrobial septic peritonitis in mice. Unlike LPS, application of MALP-2 and Pam3-Cys did not lead to an acute systemic production of TNF-a, therefore pretreatment with TLR2-agonists seem to have no harmfull side effects. Pretreatment of mice with MALP-2 and Pam3-Cys resulted in improved survival of polymicrobial peritonitis and increased bacterial clearance. Attenuation of systemic cytokine production as weil as enhanced accumulation of inflammatory neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity may contribute to the protective effects.

AbstractToll-like receptors (TLRs) are important for the activation of innate immune cells upon encounter of microbial pathogens. The present study investigated the potential roles of TLR2, TLR4, and the signaling protein myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in polymicrobial septic peritonitis. Whereas both TLR2 and TLR4 were dispensable for host defense against septic peritonitis, MyD88-deficient mice were protected in this infection model. Recruitment of neutrophils to the septic focus and bacterial clearance were normal in MyD88-deficient mice. In contrast, the systemic inflammatory response was strongly attenuated in the absence of MyD88. Surprisingly, MyD88 deficiency did not alter cytokine and chemokine production in spleen, but markedly reduced the inflammatory response in liver and lung. Production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage-inflammatory protein-1α was entirely independent of MyD88. These results imply a central role of MyD88 for the systemic immune pathology of polymicrobial sepsis and show that cytokine production in spleen and induction of certain chemokines are MyD88 independent.