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Erythromycin inhibits neutrophilic inflammation and mucosal disease by upregulating DEL-1
Tomoki Maekawa, Hikaru Tamura, Hisanori Domon, Takumi Hiyoshi, Toshihito Isono, Daisuke Yonezawa, Naoki Hayashi, Naoki Takahashi, Koichi Tabeta, Takeyasu Maeda, Masataka Oda, Athanasios Ziogas, Vasileia Ismini Alexaki, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Yutaka Terao, George Hajishengallis
Tomoki Maekawa, Hikaru Tamura, Hisanori Domon, Takumi Hiyoshi, Toshihito Isono, Daisuke Yonezawa, Naoki Hayashi, Naoki Takahashi, Koichi Tabeta, Takeyasu Maeda, Masataka Oda, Athanasios Ziogas, Vasileia Ismini Alexaki, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Yutaka Terao, George Hajishengallis
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Research Article Immunology Inflammation

Erythromycin inhibits neutrophilic inflammation and mucosal disease by upregulating DEL-1

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Abstract

Macrolide antibiotics exert antiinflammatory effects; however, little is known regarding their immunomodulatory mechanisms. In this study, using 2 distinct mouse models of mucosal inflammatory disease (LPS-induced acute lung injury and ligature-induced periodontitis), we demonstrated that the antiinflammatory action of erythromycin (ERM) is mediated through upregulation of the secreted homeostatic protein developmental endothelial locus-1 (DEL-1). Consistent with the anti–neutrophil recruitment action of endothelial cell–derived DEL-1, ERM inhibited neutrophil infiltration in the lungs and the periodontium in a DEL-1–dependent manner. Whereas ERM (but not other antibiotics, such as josamycin and penicillin) protected against lethal pulmonary inflammation and inflammatory periodontal bone loss, these protective effects of ERM were abolished in Del1-deficient mice. By interacting with the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and activating JAK2 in human lung microvascular endothelial cells, ERM induced DEL-1 transcription that was mediated by MAPK p38 and was CCAAT/enhancer binding protein–β dependent. Moreover, ERM reversed IL-17–induced inhibition of DEL-1 transcription, in a manner that was dependent not only on JAK2 but also on PI3K/AKT signaling. Because DEL-1 levels are severely reduced in inflammatory conditions and with aging, the ability of ERM to upregulate DEL-1 may lead to a novel approach for the treatment of inflammatory and aging-related diseases.

Authors

Tomoki Maekawa, Hikaru Tamura, Hisanori Domon, Takumi Hiyoshi, Toshihito Isono, Daisuke Yonezawa, Naoki Hayashi, Naoki Takahashi, Koichi Tabeta, Takeyasu Maeda, Masataka Oda, Athanasios Ziogas, Vasileia Ismini Alexaki, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Yutaka Terao, George Hajishengallis

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Figure 6

ERM activates GHSR/JAK2 signaling for regulating DEL-1 expression.

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ERM activates GHSR/JAK2 signaling for regulating DEL-1 expression.
(A) D...
(A) DEL1 mRNA expression determined by qPCR and DEL-1 protein levels determined by ELISA in control or GHSR siRNA-transfected HMVECs treated with ERM (10 μg/mL) or ghrelin (5 μg/mL) 3 hours (mRNA) or 6 hours (protein) (n = 6 culture sets/group). Data normalized against GAPDH mRNA are expressed as fold induction relative to ethanol (set as 1). (B) HMVECs, pretreated for 24 hours with control or GHSR siRNA (20 nM), were incubated with ERM and assayed for phosphorylation at indicated points. (C) After 1-hour pretreatment with AG490 (10 μM), LY294002 (20 μM), or SB203580 (10 μM), HMVECs were incubated 3 hours with ERM and assayed for DEL1 expression (n = 6 culture sets/group). Data normalized against GAPDH mRNA were expressed as fold induction relative to ethanol control (set as 1). (D) HMVECs were transiently transfected with hEDIL3-promoter-Luc reporter plasmid, pretreated 1 hour with inhibitors, and subsequently incubated 8 hours with ERM or control followed by luciferase assay. Data are presented as fold change relative to ethanol control, set as 1 (n = 6 culture sets/group). (E) HMVECs, pretreated as above with inhibitors, were incubated 4 hours with ERM and subjected to ChIP analysis of C/EBPβ occupancy at the EDIL3 promoter (n = 4 culture sets/group). (F) After 30-minute pretreatment with ERM or RvD1 (100 nM), HMVECs were stimulated (3 hours), or not, with IL-17 (5 ng/mL). DEL1 mRNA expression was assayed and presented as above (n = 6 HMVEC culture sets/group). (G) HMVECs were transiently transfected with hEDIL3-promoter-Luc reporter plasmid and pretreated with inhibitors. After 1 hour, the cells were treated with ERM, RvD1, or control for 30 minutes, followed by 8-hour stimulation with IL-17 and luciferase activity assay (n = 6 culture sets/group). Data are presented as fold change relative to ethanol (set as 1). (H) After 1-hour pretreatment with inhibitors, HMVECs were treated with ERM, RvD1, or ethanol for 30 minutes, followed by 4-hour stimulation with IL-17. Chromatin was immunoprecipitated with anti–C/EBPβ IgG and subjected to qPCR of the DEL1 promoter. Nonimmunoprecipitated cell extracts served as input samples. (I) After 1-hour pretreatment with inhibitors, HMVECs were incubated with RvD1 or ERM for 30 minutes and assayed for phosphorylation. In experiments shown in A–I, sequential treatments were performed without intermediate washing steps. Each compound was used at the same concentration in all experiments. Data are shown as means ± SD. **P < 0.001, ***P < 0.0001 by 1-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (A and C–H).

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