Chemokine receptor CCR8 is required for lipopolysaccharide-triggered cytokine production in mouse peritoneal macrophages

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 8;9(4):e94445. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094445. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 8 (CCR8), the chemokine receptor for chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 1 (CCL1), is expressed in T-helper type-2 lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages (PMφ) and is involved in various pathological conditions, including peritoneal adhesions. However, the role of CCR8 in inflammatory responses is not fully elucidated. To investigate the function of CCR8 in macrophages, we compared cytokine secretion from mouse PMφ or bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMφ) stimulated with various Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in CCR8 deficient (CCR8-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice. We found that CCR8-/- PMφ demonstrated attenuated secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In particular, LPS-induced IL-10 production absolutely required CCR8. CCR8-dependent cytokine secretion was characteristic of PMφ but not BMMφ. To further investigate this result, we selected the small molecule compound R243 from a library of compounds with CCR8-antagonistic effects on CCL1-induced Ca2+ flux and CCL1-driven PMφ aggregation. Similar to CCR8-/- PMφ, R243 attenuated secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, and most strikingly IL-10 from WT PMφ, but not BMMφ. CCR8-/- PMφ and R243-treated WT PMφ both showed suppressed c-jun N-terminal kinase activity and nuclear factor-κB signaling after LPS treatment when compared with WT PMφ. A c-Jun signaling pathway inhibitor also produced an inhibitory effect on LPS-induced cytokine secretion that was similar to that of CCR8 deficiency or R243 treatment. As seen in CCR8-/- mice, administration of R243 attenuated peritoneal adhesions in vivo. R243 also prevented hapten-induced colitis. These results are indicative of cross talk between signaling pathways downstream of CCR8 and TLR-4 that induces cytokine production by PMφ. Through use of CCR8-/- mice and the new CCR8 inhibitor, R243, we identified a novel macrophage innate immune response pathway that involves a chemokine receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chemokine CCL1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Chemotaxis / immunology
  • Colitis / genetics
  • Colitis / immunology
  • Colitis / metabolism
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / drug effects
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / immunology
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Protein Transport
  • Receptors, CCR8 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, CCR8 / deficiency
  • Receptors, CCR8 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR8 / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Toll-Like Receptors / metabolism

Substances

  • Chemokine CCL1
  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Receptors, CCR8
  • Toll-Like Receptors

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by Research on Health Sciences focusing on Drug Innovation (KHC2206) grants and contracts, grants for Research on New Drug Development (H21-007) and Research on Intractable Diseases from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B and C) and for Young Scientists (B) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and by a grant from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (21-110, 22-205, 25-104), Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.