Leukotriene B4 Induces Nitric Oxide Synthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected Murine Macrophages and Mediates Resistance to Infection

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

American Society for Microbiology

RESUMO

The production of nitric oxide (NO) by gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-activated macrophages is a major effector mechanism during experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection. In addition to IFN-γ, chemoattractant molecules, such as platelet-activating factor (PAF) and CC chemokines, may also activate macrophages to induce NO and mediate the killing of T. cruzi in an NO-dependent manner. Here we investigated the ability of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) to induce the production of NO by macrophages infected with T. cruzi in vitro and whether NO mediated LTB4-induced parasite killing. The activation of T. cruzi-infected but not naive murine peritoneal macrophages with LTB4 induced the time- and concentration-dependent production of NO. In addition, low concentrations of LTB4 acted in synergy with IFN-γ to induce NO production. The NO produced mediated LTB4-induced microbicidal activity in macrophages, as demonstrated by the inhibitory effects of an inducible NO synthase inhibitor. LTB4-induced NO production and parasite killing were LTB4 receptor dependent and were partially blocked by a PAF receptor antagonist. LTB4 also induced significant tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production, and blockade of TNF-α suppressed LTB4-induced NO release and parasite killing. A blockade of LTB4 or PAF receptors partially inhibited IFN-γ-induced NO and TNF-α production but not parasite killing. Finally, daily treatment of infected mice with CP-105,696 was accompanied by a significantly higher level of blood parasitemia, but not lethality, than that seen in vehicle-treated animals. In conclusion, our results suggest a role for LTB4 during experimental T. cruzi infection. Chemoattractant molecules such as LTB4 not only may play a major role in leukocyte migration into sites of inflammation in vivo but also, in the event of an infection, may play a relevant role in the activation of recruited leukocytes to kill the invading microorganism in an NO-dependent manner.

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