Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva triggers lipid body formation and prostaglandin E₂ production in murine macrophages.
BACKGROUND
Sand fly saliva contains molecules that modify the host's hemostasis and immune responses. Nevertheless, the role played by this saliva in the induction of key elements of inflammatory responses, such as lipid bodies (LB, also known as lipid droplets) and eicosanoids, has been poorly investigated. LBs are cytoplasmic organelles involved in arachidonic acid metabolism that form eicosanoids in response to inflammatory stimuli. In this study, we assessed the role of salivary gland sonicate (SGS) from Lutzomyia (L.) longipalpis, a Leishmania infantum chagasi vector, in the induction of LBs and eicosanoid production by macrophages in vitro and ex vivo.


RESULTS
Different doses of L. longipalpis SGS were injected into peritoneal cavities of C57BL/6 mice. SGS induced increased macrophage and neutrophil recruitment into the peritoneal cavity at different time points. Sand fly saliva enhanced PGE₂ and LTB₄ production by harvested peritoneal leukocytes after ex vivo stimulation with a calcium ionophore. At three and six hours post-injection, L. longipalpis SGS induced more intense LB staining in macrophages, but not in neutrophils, compared with mice injected with saline. Moreover, macrophages harvested by peritoneal lavage and stimulated with SGS in vitro presented a dose- and time-dependent increase in LB numbers, which was correlated with increased PGE₂ production. Furthermore, COX-2 and PGE-synthase co-localized within the LBs induced by L. longipalpis saliva. PGE₂ production by macrophages induced by SGS was abrogated by treatment with NS-398, a COX-2 inhibitor. Strikingly, SGS triggered ERK-1/2 and PKC-α phosphorylation, and blockage of the ERK-1/2 and PKC-α pathways inhibited the SGS effect on PGE₂ production by macrophages.


CONCLUSIONS
In sum, our results show that L. longipalpis saliva induces lipid body formation and PGE₂ production by macrophages ex vivo and in vitro via the ERK-1/2 and PKC-α signaling pathways. This study provides new insights regarding the pharmacological mechanisms whereby L. longipalpis saliva influences the early steps of the host's inflammatory response.
Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BA, Salvador, Brasil.
Théo
T
Araújo-Santos
Deboraci Brito
DB
Prates
Bruno Bezerril
BB
Andrade
Danielle Oliveira
DO
Nascimento
Jorge
J
Clarêncio
Petter F
PF
Entringer
Alan B
AB
Carneiro
Mário A C
MA
Silva-Neto
José Carlos
JC
Miranda
Cláudia Ida
CI
Brodskyn
Aldina
A
Barral
Patrícia T
PT
Bozza
Valéria Matos
VM
Borges
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000276:immunology*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000502:physiology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015388:Organelles / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000276:immunology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology
D015232:Dinoprostone