title: Rat neutrophils express alpha4 and beta1 integrins and bind to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1).
abstract: The alpha4 integrins, which are constitutively expressed on all human leukocyte subtypes except neutrophils, interact with vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MAdCAM-1) on endothelium to mediate selective recruitment of leukocyte subpopulations, other than neutrophils, to sites of inflammation. However, here we report that a different paradigm of leukocyte recruitment may exist in the rat. Flow cytometric analysis of rat neutrophils using a panel of monoclonal antibodies which recognize rat alpha4 and beta1 integrins showed consistent, low levels of expression. Although alpha4 was expressed at lower levels on neutrophils than all other rat leukocytes, this level of expression was sufficient to mediate significant levels of alpha4- and beta1-dependent neutrophil adhesion to rat and human VCAM-1, and alpha4-dependent, but beta1-independent, adhesion to human MAdCAM-1. These data suggest that rat neutrophils, unlike other species, may use alpha4 integrins to traffic to sites of inflammation in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, JHAAC, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davenpeck
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sterbinsky
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Bochner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D039441:Integrin alpha4; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D019012:Integrin beta1; C504265:MADCAM1 protein, human; C504268:Madcam1 protein, rat; D009088:Mucoproteins; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D039441:Integrin alpha4