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Chang KW, Wang LC, Wang HY, Lin TY, Hwu EET, Cheng PC. Inflammatory and immunopathological differences in brains of permissive and non-permissive hosts with Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection can be identified using 18F/FDG/PET-imaging. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012188. [PMID: 38805557 PMCID: PMC11161054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasite that mainly infects the heart and pulmonary arteries of rats and causes human eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in certain geographical areas. Current diagnostic methods include detection of the parasite in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and eosinophilic immune examination after lumbar puncture, which may be risky and produce false-positive results. 18F- Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a Positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, has been used to assess different pathological or inflammatory changes in the brains of patients. In this study, we hypothesized that A. cantonensis infection-induced inflammatory and immunomodulatory factors of eosinophils result in localized pathological changes in the brains of non-permissive hosts, which could be analyzed using in vivo 18F-FDG PET imaging. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS Non-permissive host ICR mice and permissive host SD rats were infected with A. cantonensis, and the effects of the resulting inflammation on 18F-FDG uptake were characterized using PET imaging. We also quantitatively measured the distributed uptake values of different brain regions to build an evaluated imaging model of localized neuropathological damage caused by eosinophilic inflammation. Our results showed that the uptake of 18F-FDG increased in the cerebellum, brainstem, and limbic system of mice at three weeks post-infection, whereas the uptake in the rat brain was not significant. Immunohistochemical staining and western blotting revealed that Iba-1, a microglia-specific marker, significantly increased in the hippocampus and its surrounding area in mice after three weeks of infection, and then became pronounced after four weeks of infection; while YM-1, an eosinophilic chemotactic factor, in the hippocampus and midbrain, increased significantly from two weeks post-infection, sharply escalated after three weeks of infection, and peaked after four weeks of infection. Cytometric bead array (CBA) analysis revealed that the expression of TNF in the serum of mice increased concomitantly with the prolongation of infection duration. Furthermore, IFN-γ and IL-4 in rat serum were significantly higher than in mouse serum at two weeks post-infection, indicating significantly different immune responses in the brains of rats and mice. We suggest that 18F-FDG uptake in the host brain may be attributed to the accumulation of large numbers of immune cells, especially the metabolic burst of activated eosinophils, which are attracted to and induced by activated microglia in the brain. CONCLUSIONS An in vivo 18F-FDG/PET imaging model can be used to evaluate live neuroinflammatory pathological changes in the brains of A. cantonensis-infected mice and rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-wei Chang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Laboratory Animal Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lian-Chen Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Yang Wang
- Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Yuan Lin
- Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Edwin En-Te Hwu
- The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation’s Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Po-Ching Cheng
- Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for International Tropical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Kang Q, Li L, Pang Y, Zhu W, Meng L. An update on Ym1 and its immunoregulatory role in diseases. Front Immunol 2022; 13:891220. [PMID: 35967383 PMCID: PMC9366555 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.891220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ym1 is a rodent-specific chitinase-like protein (CLP) lacking catalytic activity, whose cellular origins are mainly macrophages, neutrophils and other cells. Although the detailed function of Ym1 remains poorly understood, Ym1 has been generally recognized as a fundamental feature of alternative activation of macrophages in mice and hence one of the prevalent detecting targets in macrophage phenotype distinguishment. Studies have pointed out that Ym1 may have regulatory effects, which are multifaceted and even contradictory, far more than just a mere marker. Allergic lung inflammation, parasite infection, autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system diseases have been found associations with Ym1 to varying degrees. Thus, insights into Ym1’s role in diseases would help us understand the pathogenesis of different diseases and clarify the genuine roles of CLPs in mammals. This review summarizes the information on Ym1 from the gene to its expression and regulation and focuses on the association between Ym1 and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Kang
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Luyao Li
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Yucheng Pang
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Wenhua Zhu
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Wenhua Zhu, ; Liesu Meng,
| | - Liesu Meng
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, China
- National Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnostics and Biotherapy, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Wenhua Zhu, ; Liesu Meng,
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Wan S, Sun X, Tang W, Wang L, Wu Z, Sun X. Exosome-Depleted Excretory-Secretory Products of the Fourth-Stage Larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis Promotes Alternative Activation of Macrophages Through Metabolic Reprogramming by the PI3K-Akt Pathway. Front Immunol 2021; 12:685984. [PMID: 34367145 PMCID: PMC8343011 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.685984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiostrongylus cantonensis (AC), which parasitizes in the brain of the non-permissive host, such as mouse and human, is an etiologic agent of eosinophilic meningitis. Excretory-secretory (ES) products play an important role in the interaction between parasites and hosts’ immune responses. Inflammatory macrophages are responsible for eosinophilic meningitis induced by AC, and the soluble antigens of Angiostrongylus cantonensis fourth stage larva (AC L4), a mimic of dead AC L4, aggravate eosinophilic meningitis in AC-infected mice model via promoting alternative activation of macrophages. In this study, we investigated the key molecules in the ES products of AC L4 on macrophages and observed the relationship between metabolic reprogramming and the PI3K-Akt pathway. First, a co-culture system of macrophage and AC L4 was established to define the role of AC L4 ES products on macrophage polarization. Then, AC L4 exosome and exosome-depleted excretory-secretory products (exofree) were separated from AC L4 ES products using differential centrifugation, and their distinct roles on macrophage polarization were confirmed using qPCR and ELISA experiments. Moreover, AC L4 exofree induced alternative activation of macrophages, which is partially associated with metabolic reprogramming by the PI3K-Akt pathway. Next, lectin blot and deglycosylation assay were done, suggesting the key role of N-linked glycoproteins in exofree. Then, glycoproteomic analysis of exofree and RNA-seq analysis of exofree-treated macrophage were performed. Bi-layer PPI network analysis based on these results identified macrophage-related protein Hexa as a key molecule in inducing alternative activation of macrophages. Our results indicate a great value for research of helminth-derived immunoregulatory molecules, which might contribute to drug development for immune-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wan
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Zhongshan School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyan Tang
- Department of Neonatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lifu Wang
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongdao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Sun
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, China
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Liu Z, Su DM, Yu ZL, Wu F, Liu RF, Luo SQ, Lv ZY, Zeng X, Sun X, Wu ZD. Soluble antigens from the neurotropic pathogen Angiostrongylus cantonensis directly induce thymus atrophy in a mouse model. Oncotarget 2018; 8:48575-48590. [PMID: 28548945 PMCID: PMC5564709 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A.C.) is a neurotropic pathogen; stage-III larva invade the human (non-permissive host) central nervous system (CNS) to cause eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis accompanied by immunosuppression. In an A.C.-infectedmouse (another non-permissive host) model, CNS damage-associated T cell immune deficiency and severe inflammation were proposed to result from activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory agents. Additionally, while defects in thymic stromal/epithelial cells (TECs) are the major reason for thymic atrophy, TECs do not express the glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, activation of the HPA axis cannot fully explain the thymic atrophy and inflammation. Using an A.C.-infected mouse model, we found that A.C.-infected mice developed severe thymic atrophy with dramatic impairments in thymocytes and TECs, particularly cortical TECs, which harbor CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes. The impairments resulted from soluble antigens (sAgs) from A.C. in the thymuses of infected mice, as intrathymic injection of these sAgs into live mice and the addition of these sAgs to thymic cell culture resulted in thymic atrophy and cellular apoptosis, respectively. Therefore, in addition to an indirect effect on thymocytes through the HPA axis, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which A.C. infection in non-permissive hosts directly induces defects in both thymocytes and TECs via soluble antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Zi-Long Yu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Feng Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Qi Luo
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Yue Lv
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Sun
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Dao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
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5
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Wan S, Sun X, Wu F, Yu Z, Wang L, Lin D, Li Z, Wu Z, Sun X. Chi3l3: a potential key orchestrator of eosinophil recruitment in meningitis induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:31. [PMID: 29391024 PMCID: PMC5796390 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1071-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiostrongylus cantonensis, an important foodborne parasite, can induce serious eosinophilic meningitis in non-permissive hosts, such as mouse and human. However, the characteristics and mechanisms of the infection are still poorly understood. This study sought to determine the key molecules and its underlying mechanism in inducing brain eosinophilic infiltration caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. METHODS Mathematical models were established for prediction of significantly changing genes and the functional associated protein with RNA-seq data in Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection. The expression level of Chi3l3, the predicted key molecule, was verified using Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR. Critical cell source of Chi3l3 and its relationship with eosinophils were identified with flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and further verified by macrophage depletion using liposomal clodronate. The role of soluble antigens of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in eosinophilic response was identified with mice airway allergy model by intranasal administration of Alternaria alternate. The relationship between Chi3l3 and IL-13 was identified with flow cytometry, Western blotting, and Seahorse Bioscience extracellular flux analyzer. RESULTS We analyzed the skewed cytokine pattern in brains of Angiostrongylus cantonensis-infected mice and found Chi3l3 to be an important molecule, which increased sharply during the infection. The percentage of inflammatory macrophages, the main source of Chi3l3, also increased, in line with eosinophils percentage in the brain. Network analysis and mathematical modeling predirect a functional association between Chi3l3 and IL-13. Further experiments verified that the soluble antigen of Angiostrongylus cantonensis induce brain eosinophilic meningitis via aggravating a positive feedback loop between IL-13 and Chi3l3. CONCLUSIONS We present evidences in favor of a key role for macrophave-derived Chi3l3 molecule in the infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which aggravates eosinophilic meningitis induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis via a IL-13-mediated positive feedback loop. These reported results constitute a starting point for future research of angiostrongyliasis pathogenesis and imply that targeting chitinases and chitinase-like-proteins may be clinically beneficial in Angiostrongylus cantonensis-induced eosinophilic meningitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wan
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Institute of Human Disease Genomics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Zilong Yu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Lifu Wang
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Datao Lin
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Zhengyu Li
- Department of neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330000, China
| | - Zhongdao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China. .,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
| | - Xi Sun
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No.74 Zhongshan Road.2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (SYSU), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China. .,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
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