Cathelicidin peptide LL-37 modulates TREM-1 expression and inflammatory responses to microbial compounds

Inflammation. 2011 Oct;34(5):412-25. doi: 10.1007/s10753-010-9248-6.

Abstract

Inflammatory diseases remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Cathelicidins are immunomodulatory and antimicrobial peptides with potent anti-endotoxic properties. Although the effects of the human cathelicidin LL-37 on cellular responses to Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands have been investigated, its effects on responses to other pro-inflammatory stimuli have not been well studied. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM-1) acts to amplify inflammatory responses and plays important roles in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia. In this work, the effects of LL-37 on responses to TREM-1 stimulation, alone and in the presence of a range of microbial compounds, were analyzed. It was shown that in peripheral blood mononuclear cells LL-37 strongly suppressed synergistic responses to TREM-1 and TLR4 stimulation, partly through the inhibition of TREM-1 expression on monocytes; similar effects were observed using the TLR2 ligand lipoteichoic acid. In contrast, LL-37 stimulated TREM-1 upregulation by peptidoglycan (PGN, TLR2 ligand that is also recognized via nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 after fragmentation and intracellular uptake), as well as the responses to combined TREM-1 and PGN stimulation, possibly via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. LL-37 did not affect TREM-1-induced neutrophil degranulation or the production of reactive oxygen species and interleukin-8 by neutrophils. These findings provide further insight into the roles of LL-37 during inflammation and may have implications for its in vivo immunomodulatory properties and for the design of synthetic cathelicidin derivatives as anti-inflammatory and anti-endotoxic molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Cathelicidins
  • Cell Degranulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Ligands
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / agonists
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Monocytes / drug effects
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / immunology
  • Neutrophils / physiology
  • Peptidoglycan / pharmacology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Receptors, Immunologic / agonists
  • Receptors, Immunologic / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Immunologic / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptors / metabolism
  • Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Ligands
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Peptidoglycan
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • TLR4 protein, human
  • TREM1 protein, human
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Toll-Like Receptors
  • Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1
  • Cathelicidins