title: Endotoxin-inducible granulocyte-mediated hepatocytotoxicity requires adhesion and serine protease release.
abstract: In primary cultures of Kupffer cells and hepatocytes, human granulocytes potentiated toxicity of endotoxin about 1000-fold. Granulocyte elastase activity was found to correlate with toxicity. The serine protease inhibitors alpha1-antitrypsin, eglin C, and aprotinin protected against toxicity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced cytotoxicity and elastase release, whereas neutralization of TNF-alpha blocked both events. We conclude that TNF-alpha formed by Kupffer cells activates granulocytes. Experiments in cultures where cells were separated by membranes permeable to mediators indicated that cell contact is needed for toxicity. Scanning electron microscopy showed granulocytes adhering to and interdigitating with hepatocytes. Using liver cells from ICAM-1-deficient mice had no effect on toxicity. However, neutralizing CD31 inhibited toxicity and elastase release but not granulocyte adhesion. Our findings demonstrate that adhesion of granulocytes is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the synergistic interaction of endotoxin-stimulated liver macrophages and granulocytes in the proteolytic killing of hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, University of Konstanz, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wendel
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D007611:Aprotinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000502:physiology; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D011506:Proteins; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015843:Serpins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000150:complications; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000077191:Wortmannin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D018821:CD18 Antigens; D004731:Endotoxins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D011506:Proteins; D015843:Serpins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; C028656:eglin proteinase inhibitors; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007611:Aprotinin; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D000077191:Wortmannin