Peptide 19-2.5 inhibits heparan sulfate-triggered inflammation in murine cardiomyocytes stimulated with human sepsis serum

PLoS One. 2015 May 29;10(5):e0127584. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127584. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Myocardial dysfunction in sepsis has been linked to inflammation caused by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) as well as by host danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These include soluble heparan sulfate (HS), which triggers the devastating consequences of the pro-inflammatory cascades in severe sepsis and septic shock. Thus, there is increasing interest in the development of anti-infective agents, with effectiveness against both PAMPs and DAMPs. We hypothesized that a synthetic antimicrobial peptide (peptide 19-2.5) inhibits inflammatory response in murine cardiomyocytes (HL-1 cells) stimulated with PAMPs, DAMPs or serum from patients with septic shock by reduction and/or neutralization of soluble HS. In the current study, our data indicate that the treatment with peptide 19-2.5 decreases the inflammatory response in HL-1 cells stimulated with either PAMPs or DAMPs. Furthermore, our work shows that soluble HS in serum from patients with Gram-negative or Gram-positive septic shock induces a strong pro-inflammatory response in HL-1 cells, which can be effectively blocked by peptide 19-2.5. Based on these findings, peptide 19-2.5 is a novel anti-inflammatory agent interacting with both PAMPs and DAMPs, suggesting peptide 19-2.5 may have the potential for further development as a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agent in sepsis-induced myocardial inflammation and dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Female
  • Heparitin Sulfate / toxicity*
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocytes, Cardiac
  • Sepsis / blood*
  • Serum*

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Heparitin Sulfate

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the RWTH centralized Biomaterial Database (RWTH cBMB) of the University Hospital RWTH Aachen. Brandenburg Antiinfektiva GmbH., Astellas Pharma, Bayer Vital, Astra-Zeneca, B. Braun Melsungen, Edwards Life Sciences, Serumwerke Bernburg, Hutchinson Technology, Baxter, provided support in the form of salaries for authors (TS, GM) but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.