Bone marrow cell derived arginase I is the major source of allergen-induced lung arginase but is not required for airway hyperresponsiveness, remodeling and lung inflammatory responses in mice

A novel quinoline with airway relaxant effects and anti-inflammatory properties

BACKGROUND

In chronic pulmonary diseases characterized by inflammation and airway obstruction, such as asthma and COPD, there are unmet needs for improved treatment. Quinolines is a group of small heterocyclic compounds that have a broad range of pharmacological properties. Here, we investigated the airway relaxant and anti-inflammatory properties of a novel quinoline (RCD405).

METHODS

The airway relaxant effect of RCD405 was examined in isolated airways from humans, dogs, rats and mice. Murine models of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma and LPS-induced airway inflammation were used to study the effects in vivo. RCD405 (10 mg/kg) or, for comparisons in selected studies, budesonide (3 mg/kg), were administered intratracheally 1 h prior to each challenge. Airway responsiveness was determined using methacholine provocation. Immune cell recruitment to bronchi was measured using flow cytometry and histological analyses were applied to investigate cell influx and goblet cell hyperplasia of the airways. Furthermore, production of cytokines and chemokines was measured using a multiplex immunoassay. The expression levels of asthma-related genes in murine lung tissue were determined by PCR. The involvement of NF-κB and metabolic activity was measured in the human monocytic cell line THP-1.

RESULTS

RCD405 demonstrated a relaxant effect on carbachol precontracted airways in all four species investigated (potency ranking: human = rat > dog = mouse). The OVA-specific IgE and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were significantly reduced by intratracheal treatment with RCD405, while no significant changes were observed for budesonide. In addition, administration of RCD405 to mice significantly decreased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as recruitment of immune cells to the lungs in both OVA- and LPS-induced airway inflammation, with a similar effect as for budesonide (in the OVA-model). However, the effect on gene expression of Il-4, IL-5 and Il-13 was more pronounced for RCD405 as compared to budesonide. Finally, in vitro, RCD405 reduced the LPS-induced NF-κB activation and by itself reduced cellular metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

RCD405 has airway relaxant effects, and it reduces AHR as well as airway inflammation in the models used, suggesting that it could be a clinically relevant compound to treat inflammatory airway diseases. Possible targets of this compound are complexes of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in decreased metabolic activity of targeted cells as well as through pathways associated to NF-κB. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the mode of action.

An IL-9-pulmonary macrophage axis defines the allergic lung inflammatory environment

Despite IL-9 functioning as a pleiotropic cytokine in mucosal environments, the IL-9-responsive cell repertoire is still not well defined. Here, we found that IL-9 mediates proallergic activities in the lungs by targeting lung macrophages. IL-9 inhibits alveolar macrophage expansion and promotes recruitment of monocytes that develop into CD11c+ and CD11c- interstitial macrophage populations. Interstitial macrophages were required for IL-9-dependent allergic responses. Mechanistically, IL-9 affected the function of lung macrophages by inducing Arg1 activity. Compared with Arg1-deficient lung macrophages, Arg1-expressing macrophages expressed greater amounts of CCL5. Adoptive transfer of Arg1+ lung macrophages but not Arg1- lung macrophages promoted allergic inflammation that Il9r-/- mice were protected against. In parallel, the elevated expression of IL-9, IL-9R, Arg1, and CCL5 was correlated with disease in patients with asthma. Thus, our study uncovers an IL-9/macrophage/Arg1 axis as a potential therapeutic target for allergic airway inflammation.

Arginine Therapy for Lung Diseases

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by a family of isoenzymes, nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), which all utilize L-arginine as substrate. The production of NO in the lung and airways can play a number of roles during lung development, regulates airway and vascular smooth muscle tone, and is involved in inflammatory processes and host defense. Altered L-arginine/NO homeostasis, due to the accumulation of endogenous NOS inhibitors and competition for substrate with the arginase enzymes, has been found to play a role in various conditions affecting the lung and in pulmonary diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), pulmonary hypertension, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Different therapeutic strategies to increase L-arginine levels or bioavailability are currently being explored in pre-clinical and clinical studies. These include supplementation of L-arginine or L-citrulline and inhibition of arginase.

Hypoargininemia exacerbates airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of asthma

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition, with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation as hallmarks. The hypothesis that the substantially increased expression of arginase 1 in activated macrophages limits the availability of L-arginine for nitric oxide synthesis, and thus increases AHR in lungs of mice with experimentally induced allergic asthma was recently refuted by several studies. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that, instead, a low circulating concentration of arginine aggravates AHR in the same murine asthma model. Female FVB F/A2 tg/tg transgenic mice, which overexpress rat arginase 1 in their enterocytes, exhibit a ~ 50% decrease of their plasma L-arginine concentration.

METHODS

Adult female F/A2 tg/tg mice and their wild-type littermates (F/A2 wt/wt ) were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA/OVA). Lung function was assessed with the flexiVent™ system. Adaptive changes in the expression of arginine-metabolizing or -transporting enzymes, chemokines and cytokines, and lung histology were quantified with qPCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

Reduction of circulating L-arginine concentration significantly increased AHR in OVA/OVA-treated mice and, to a lesser extent, even in PBS/OVA-treated mice. The pulmonary inflammatory response in OVA/OVA-treated F/A2 tg/tg and F/A2 wt/wt mice was comparable. OVA/OVA-treated F/A2 tg/tg mice differed from similarly treated female mice, in which arginase 1 expression in lung macrophages was eliminated, by a complete absence of an adaptive increase in the expression of arginine-metabolizing or -transporting enzymes.

CONCLUSION

A reduction of the circulating L-arginine concentration rather than the macrophage-mediated increase of arginine catabolism worsens AHR.

Arginase 1 deletion in myeloid cells affects the inflammatory response in allergic asthma, but not lung mechanics, in female mice

BACKGROUND

(Over-)expression of arginase may limit local availability of arginine for nitric oxide synthesis. We investigated the significance of arginase1 (ARG1) for the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and lung inflammation in female mice with ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma.

METHODS

Arg1 was ablated in the lung by crossing Arg1 fl/fl and Tie2Cre tg/- mice. OVA sensitization and challenge were conducted, and AHR to methacholine was determined using the Flexivent system. Changes in gene expression, chemokine and cytokine secretion, plasma IgE, and lung histology were quantified using RT-qPCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

Arg1 ablation had no influence on the development of OVA-induced AHR, but attenuated OVA-induced increases in expression of Arg2 and Nos2, Slc7a1, Slc7a2, and Slc7a7 (arginine transporters), Il4, Il5 and Il13 (TH2-type cytokines), Ccl2 and Ccl11 (chemokines), Ifng (TH1-type cytokine), Clca3 and Muc5ac (goblet cell markers), and OVA-specific IgE. Pulmonary IL-10 protein content increased, but IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, TNFα and IFNγ content, and lung histopathology, were not affected. Arg1 elimination also decreased number and tightness of correlations between adaptive changes in lung function and inflammatory parameters in OVA/OVA-treated female mice. OVA/OVA-treated female mice mounted a higher OVA-IgE response than males, but the correlation between lung function and inflammation was lower. Arg1-deficient OVA/OVA-treated females differed from males in a more pronounced decline of arginine-metabolizing and -transporting genes, higher plasma arginine levels, a smaller OVA-specific IgE response, and no improvement of peripheral lung function.

CONCLUSION

Complete ablation of Arg1 in the lung affects mRNA abundance of arginine-transporting and -metabolizing genes, and pro-inflammatory genes, but not methacholine responsiveness or accumulation of inflammatory cells.

Increased mitochondrial arginine metabolism supports bioenergetics in asthma

High levels of arginine metabolizing enzymes, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase (ARG), are typical in asthmatic airway epithelium; however, little is known about the metabolic effects of enhanced arginine flux in asthma. Here, we demonstrated that increased metabolism sustains arginine availability in asthmatic airway epithelium with consequences for bioenergetics and inflammation. Expression of iNOS, ARG2, arginine synthetic enzymes, and mitochondrial respiratory complexes III and IV was elevated in asthmatic lung samples compared with healthy controls. ARG2 overexpression in a human bronchial epithelial cell line accelerated oxidative bioenergetic pathways and suppressed hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and phosphorylation of the signal transducer for atopic Th2 inflammation STAT6 (pSTAT6), both of which are implicated in asthma etiology. Arg2-deficient mice had lower mitochondrial membrane potential and greater HIF-2α than WT animals. In an allergen-induced asthma model, mice lacking Arg2 had greater Th2 inflammation than WT mice, as indicated by higher levels of pSTAT6, IL-13, IL-17, eotaxin, and eosinophils and more mucus metaplasia. Bone marrow transplants from Arg2-deficient mice did not affect airway inflammation in recipient mice, supporting resident lung cells as the drivers of elevated Th2 inflammation. These data demonstrate that arginine flux preserves cellular respiration and suppresses pathological signaling events that promote inflammation in asthma.

IL-4 and IL-13 signaling in allergic airway disease

Aberrant production of the prototypical type 2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 has long been associated with the pathogenesis of allergic disorders. Despite tremendous scientific inquiry, the similarities in their structure, and receptor usage have made it difficult to ascertain the distinct role that these two look-alike cytokines play in the onset and perpetuation of allergic inflammation. However, recent discoveries of differences in receptor distribution, utilization/assembly and affinity between IL-4 and IL-13, along with the discovery of unique innate lymphoid 2 cells (ILC2) which preferentially produce IL-13, not IL-4, are beginning to shed light on these mysteries. The purpose of this chapter is to review our current understanding of the distinct roles that IL-4 and IL-13 play in allergic inflammatory states and the utility of their modulation as potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of allergic disorders.

Ablation of Arg1 in hematopoietic cells improves respiratory function of lung parenchyma, but not that of larger airways or inflammation in asthmatic mice

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small airways, with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation as hallmarks. Recent studies suggest a role for arginase in asthma pathogenesis, possibly because arginine is the substrate for both arginase and NO synthase and because NO modulates bronchial tone and inflammation. Our objective was to investigate the importance of increased pulmonary arginase 1 expression on methacholine-induced AHR and lung inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Arginase 1 expression in the lung was ablated by crossing Arg1(fl/fl) with Tie2Cre(tg/-) mice. Mice were sensitized and then challenged with ovalbumin. Lung function was measured with the Flexivent. Adaptive changes in gene expression, chemokine and cytokine secretion, and lung histology were quantified with quantitative PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. Arg1 deficiency did not affect the allergic response in lungs and large-airway resistance, but it improved peripheral lung function (tissue elastance and resistance) and attenuated adaptive increases in mRNA expression of arginine-catabolizing enzymes Arg2 and Nos2, arginine transporters Slc7a1 and Slc7a7, chemokines Ccl2 and Ccl11, cytokines Tnfa and Ifng, mucus-associated epithelial markers Clca3 and Muc5ac, and lung content of IL-13 and CCL11. However, expression of Il4, Il5, Il10, and Il13 mRNA; lung content of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ protein; and lung pathology were not affected. Correlation analysis showed that Arg1 ablation disturbed the coordinated pulmonary response to ovalbumin challenges, suggesting arginine (metabolite) dependence of this response. Arg1 ablation in the lung improved peripheral lung function and affected arginine metabolism but had little effect on airway inflammation.

Group V secretory phospholipase A2 is involved in macrophage activation and is sufficient for macrophage effector functions in allergic pulmonary inflammation

We reported that Pla2g5-null mice lacking group V secretory phospholipase A2 (gV-sPLA2) showed reduced eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation and Th2 cytokine generation when challenged with an extract from house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae, compared with wild-type (WT) controls. Adoptive transfer studies suggested that gV-sPLA2 in dendritic cells was necessary for sensitization of Pla2g5-null mice, but was not sufficient to induce the effector phase of pulmonary inflammation. In this study, we demonstrate that gV-sPLA2 is inducibly expressed in mouse and human macrophages (M) activated by IL-4 and is required for the acquisition of M effector functions that facilitate the effector phase of pulmonary inflammation. We demonstrate that gV-sPLA2 expression in M is sufficient for the development of pulmonary inflammation, even when inflammation is induced by intrapulmonary administration of IL-4. The concentrations of CCL22/CCL17 and effector T cell recruitment are severely impaired in Pla2g5-null mice. Intratracheal transfers of enriched CD68(+) cells isolated from the lungs of D. farinae-challenged WT donor mice induce eosinophilia, chemokine production, and recruitment of T cells into the lungs of Pla2g5-null recipients previously sensitized by WT D. farinae-loaded dendritic cells. Our studies identified a unique function of gV-sPLA2 in activation of M and in their capacity to recruit T cells to amplify the effector phase of pulmonary inflammation.

Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor-B inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing profibrogenic properties of alveolar macrophages

Macrophages are lung-resident cells that play key roles in fibrosis. Surprisingly, pathways that inhibit macrophage functions, especially in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), receive little attention. The cell-surface molecule paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PIR-B) can suppress macrophage activation. However, its role in pulmonary fibrosis remains unknown. We sought to define the role of PIR-B in IPF. The expression of PIR-B was assessed (by quantitative PCR and flow cytometry) after bleomycin treatment. Differential cell counts, histopathology, and profibrogenic-mediator expression, for example, collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, resistin-like molecule-α (Relm-α), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, were determined (by ELISA quantitative PCR and flow cytometry) in the lungs of wild-type and Pirb(-/-) mice after bleomycin or IL-4 treatment. Bone marrow-derived wild-type and Pirb(-/-) macrophages were stimulated with IL-4 and assessed for Relm-α and MMP-12 expression. PIR-B was up-regulated in lung myeloid cells after bleomycin administration. Bleomycin-treated Pirb(-/-) mice displayed increased lung histopathology and an increased expression of collagen and of the IL-4-associated profibrogenic markers Relm-α, MMP-12, TIMP-1, and osteopontin, which were localized to alveolar macrophages. Increased profibrogenic mediator expression in Pirb(-/-) mice was not attributable to increased IL-4/IL-13 concentrations, suggesting that PIR-B negatively regulates IL-4-induced macrophage activation. Indeed, IL-4-treated Pirb(-/-) mice displayed increased Relm-α expression and Relm-α(+) macrophage concentrations. IL-4-activated Pirb(-/-) macrophages displayed increased Relm-α and MMP-12 induction. Finally, leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B member 3 (LILRB3)/immunoglobulin-like transcript-5, the human PIR-B orthologue, was expressed and up-regulated in lung biopsies from patients with IPF. Our results establish a key role for PIR-B in IPF, likely via the regulation of macrophage activation. Therefore, PIR-B/LILRB3 may offer a possible target for suppressing macrophage profibrogenic activity in IPF.

Role of arginase 1 from myeloid cells in th2-dominated lung inflammation

Th2-driven lung inflammation increases Arginase 1 (Arg1) expression in alternatively-activated macrophages (AAMs). AAMs modulate T cell and wound healing responses and Arg1 might contribute to asthma pathogenesis by inhibiting nitric oxide production, regulating fibrosis, modulating arginine metabolism and restricting T cell proliferation. We used mice lacking Arg1 in myeloid cells to investigate the contribution of Arg1 to lung inflammation and pathophysiology. In six model systems encompassing acute and chronic Th2-mediated lung inflammation we observed neither a pathogenic nor protective role for myeloid-expressed Arg1. The number and composition of inflammatory cells in the airways and lungs, mucus secretion, collagen deposition, airway hyper-responsiveness, and T cell cytokine production were not altered if AAMs were deficient in Arg1 or simultaneously in both Arg1 and NOS2. Our results argue that Arg1 is a general feature of alternative activation but only selectively regulates Th2 responses. Therefore, attempts to experimentally or therapeutically inhibit arginase activity in the lung should be examined with caution.

Competitive metabolism of L-arginine: arginase as a therapeutic target in asthma

Exhaled breath nitric oxide (NO) is an accepted asthma biomarker. Lung concentrations of NO and its amino acid precursor, L-arginine, are regulated by the relative expressions of the NO synthase (NOS) and arginase isoforms. Increased expression of arginase I and NOS2 occurs in murine models of allergic asthma and in biopsies of asthmatic airways. Although clinical trials involving the inhibition of NO-producing enzymes have shown mixed results, small molecule arginase inhibitors have shown potential as a therapeutic intervention in animal and cell culture models. Their transition to clinical trials is hampered by concerns regarding their safety and potential toxicity. In this review, we discuss the paradigm of arginase and NOS competition for their substrate L-arginine in the asthmatic airway. We address the functional role of L-arginine in inflammation and the potential role of arginase inhibitors as therapeutics.

Role of arginase in asthma: potential clinical applications

Allergic asthma is a chronic disease with significant morbidity and mortality. It affects 300 million people worldwide and absorbs a significant amount of the healthcare budget. The predisposition to asthma is dictated by complex genetic regulation, and the asthmatic inflammation itself is characterized by the interplay of various local cells of the bronchial tree and invading inflammatory immune cells. The clinical problems of asthma are owing to intermittent airway hyper-responsiveness that can become chronic in the course of the disease. Histopathologically, infiltration with a variety of inflammatory cells, smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia and subepithelial fibrosis are found in asthmatic inflammatory tissue. This special report sets out to review data on the role of the enzyme arginase and L-arginine metabolism as a unifying element of asthma pathophysiology and as a potential target for future clinical asthma treatment.

Contribution of alternatively activated macrophages to allergic lung inflammation: a tale of mice and men

The concept that macrophages play an active role in inflammatory responses began its development in the late 1800s with the now iconic studies by Elie Metchnikoff using starfish larvae and Daphnia [reviewed in Kaufmann SHE: Nat Immunol 2008;9:705-712 and Cavaillon JM: J Leukoc Biol 2011;90:413-424]. Based on his observation of the phagocyte response to a foreign body (rose thorn) and yeast, he proposed that phagocytes acted in host defense and were active participants in the inflammatory process. Flash forward more than 100 years and we find that these basic tenets hold true. However, it is now appreciated that macrophages come in many different flavors and can adopt a variety of nuanced phenotypes depending on the tissue environment in which the macrophage is found. In this brief review, we discuss the role of one type of macrophage termed the alternatively activated macrophage (AAM), also known as the M2 type of macrophage, in regulating allergic lung inflammation and asthma. Recent studies using mouse models of allergic lung inflammation and samples from human asthma patients contribute to the emerging concept that AAMs are not just bystanders of the interleukin (IL)-4- and IL-13-rich environment found in allergic asthma but are also active players in orchestrating allergic lung disease.

Adoptive transfer of IL-4Rα+ macrophages is sufficient to enhance eosinophilic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic lung inflammation

BACKGROUND

The IL-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) chain has a broad expression pattern and participates in IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, allowing it to influence several pathological components of allergic lung inflammation. We previously reported that IL-4Rα expression on both bone marrow-derived and non-bone marrow-derived cells contributed to the severity of allergic lung inflammation. There was a correlation between the number of macrophages expressing the IL-4Rα, CD11b, and IA(d), and the degree of eosinophilia in ovalbumin challenged mice. The engagement of the IL-4Rα by IL-4 or IL-13 is able to stimulate the alternative activation of macrophages (AAM). The presence of AAM has been correlated with inflammatory responses to parasites and allergens. Therefore, we hypothesized that IL-4Rα⁺ AAM play an active role in allergic lung inflammation. To directly determine the role of AAM in allergic lung inflammation, M-CSF-dependent macrophages (BMM) were prepared from the bone-marrow of IL-4Rα positive and negative mice and transferred to IL-4RαxRAG2(-/-) mice. Wild type TH2 cells were provided exogenously.

RESULTS

Mice receiving IL-4Rα(+/+) BMM showed a marked increase in the recruitment of eosinophils to the lung after challenge with ovalbumin as compared to mice receiving IL-4Rα(-/-) BMM. As expected, the eosinophilic inflammation was dependent on the presence of TH2 cells. Furthermore, we observed an increase in cells expressing F4/80 and Mac3, and the AAM marker YM1/2 in the lungs of mice receiving IL-4Rα(+/+) BMM. The BAL fluid from these mice contained elevated levels of eotaxin-1, RANTES, and CCL2.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that transfer of IL-4Rα + macrophages is sufficient to enhance TH2-driven, allergic inflammation. They further show that stimulation of macrophages through IL-4Rα leads to their alternative activation and positive contribution to the TH2-driven allergic inflammatory response in the lung. Since an increase in AAM and their products has been observed in patients with asthma exacerbations, these results suggest that AAM may be targeted to alleviate exacerbations.

Resistin-like molecule-α regulates IL-13-induced chemokine production but not allergen-induced airway responses

Resistin-like molecule α (Relm-α) is one of the most up-regulated gene products in allergen- and parasite-associated Th2 responses. Localized to alternatively activated macrophages, Relm-α was shown to exert an anti-inflammatory effect in parasite-induced Th2 responses, but its role in experimental asthma remains unexplored. Here, we analyzed the cellular source, the IL-4 receptors required to stimulate Relm-α production, and the role of Relm-α after experimental asthma induction by IL-4, IL-13, or multiple experimental regimes, including ovalbumin and Aspergillus fumigatus immunization. We demonstrate that Relm-α was secreted into the airway lumen, dependent on both the IL-13 receptor-α1 chain and likely the Type I IL-4 receptor, and differentially localized to epithelial cells and myeloid cells, depending on the specific cytokine or aeroallergen trigger. Studies performed with Retnla gene-targeted mice demonstrate that Relm-α was largely redundant in terms of inducing the infiltration of Th2 cytokines, mucus, and inflammatory cells into the lung. These results mirror the dispensable role that other alternatively activated macrophage products (such as arginase 1) have in allergen-induced experimental asthma and contrast with their role in the setting of parasitic infections. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the distinct utilization of IL-4/IL-13 receptors for the induction of Relm-α in the lungs. The differential regulation of Relm-α expression is likely determined by the relative expression levels of IL-4, IL-13, and their corresponding receptors, which are differentially expressed by divergent cells (i.e., epithelial cells and macrophages.) Finally, we identify a largely redundant functional role for Relm-α in acute experimental models of allergen-associated Th2 immune responses.

Identification of an IFN-γ/mast cell axis in a mouse model of chronic asthma

Asthma is considered a Th2 cell–associated disorder. Despite this, both the Th1 cell–associated cytokine IFN-γ and airway neutrophilia have been implicated in severe asthma. To investigate the relative contributions of different immune system components to the pathogenesis of asthma, we previously developed a model that exhibits several features of severe asthma in humans, including airway neutrophilia and increased lung IFN-γ. In the present studies, we tested the hypothesis that IFN-γ regulates mast cell function in our model of chronic asthma. Engraftment of mast cell–deficient KitW(-sh/W-sh) mice, which develop markedly attenuated features of disease, with wild-type mast cells restored disease pathology in this model of chronic asthma. However, disease pathology was not fully restored by engraftment with either IFN-γ receptor 1–null (Ifngr1–/–) or Fcε receptor 1γ–null (Fcer1g–/–) mast cells. Additional analysis, including gene array studies, showed that mast cell expression of IFN-γR contributed to the development of many FcεRIγ-dependent and some FcεRIγ-independent features of disease in our model, including airway hyperresponsiveness, neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation, airway remodeling, and lung expression of several cytokines, chemokines, and markers of an alternatively activated macrophage response. These findings identify a previously unsuspected IFN-γ/mast cell axis in the pathology of chronic allergic inflammation of the airways in mice.

Arginase and arginine dysregulation in asthma

In recent years, evidence has accumulated indicating that the enzyme arginase, which converts L-arginine into L-ornithine and urea, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary disorders such as asthma through dysregulation of L-arginine metabolism and modulation of nitric oxide (NO) homeostasis. Allergic asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and remodeling. Through substrate competition, arginase decreases bioavailability of L-arginine for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), thereby limiting NO production with subsequent effects on airway tone and inflammation. By decreasing L-arginine bioavailability, arginase may also contribute to the uncoupling of NOS and the formation of the proinflammatory oxidant peroxynitrite in the airways. Finally, arginase may play a role in the development of chronic airway remodeling through formation of L-ornithine with downstream production of polyamines and L-proline, which are involved in processes of cellular proliferation and collagen deposition. Further research on modulation of arginase activity and L-arginine bioavailability may reveal promising novel therapeutic strategies for asthma.

Regulatory haplotypes in ARG1 are associated with altered bronchodilator response

RATIONALE

β₂-agonists, the most common treatment for asthma, have a wide interindividual variability in response, which is partially attributed to genetic factors. We previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the arginase 1 (ARG1) gene, which are associated with β₂-agonist bronchodilator response (BDR).

OBJECTIVES

To identify cis-acting haplotypes in the ARG1 locus that are associated with BDR in patients with asthma and regulate gene expression in vitro.

METHODS

We resequenced ARG1 in 96 individuals and identified three common, 5' haplotypes (denoted 1, 2, and 3). A haplotype-based association analysis of BDR was performed in three independent, adult asthma drug trial populations. Next, each haplotype was cloned into vectors containing a luciferase reporter gene and transfected into human airway epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to ascertain its effect on gene expression.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

BDR varied by haplotype in each of the three populations with asthma. Individuals with haplotype 1 were more likely to have higher BDR, compared to those with haplotypes 2 and 3, which is supported by odds ratios of 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.71) and 2.18 (95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.52), respectively. Luciferase expression was 50% greater in cells transfected with haplotype 1 compared to haplotypes 2 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified ARG1 haplotypes seem to alter BDR and differentially regulate gene expression with a concordance of decreased BDR and reporter activity from haplotypes 2 and 3. These findings may facilitate pharmacogenetic tests to predict individuals who may benefit from other therapeutic agents in addition to β(2)-agonists for optimal asthma management. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00156819, NCT00046644, and NCT00073840).

The cationic amino acid transporter 2 is induced in inflammatory lung models and regulates lung fibrosis

Background

Arginine is an amino acid that serves as a substrate for the enzymes nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase, leading to synthesis of NO and ornithine, respectively. As such, arginine has the potential to influence diverse fundamental processes in the lung.

Methods

We used mice deficient in cationic amino acid transporter (CAT) 2 in models of allergic airway inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis.

Results

We report that the arginine transport protein CAT2 was over-expressed in the lung during the induction of allergic airway inflammation. Furthermore, CAT2 mRNA was strongly induced by transgenically over-expressed IL-4, and allergen-induced expression was dependent upon signal-transducer-and-activator-of-transcription (STAT) 6. In situ mRNA hybridization demonstrated marked staining of CAT2, predominantly in scattered mononuclear cells. Analysis of allergic airway inflammation and bleomycin-induced inflammation in CAT2-deficient mice revealed that while inflammation was independent of CAT2 expression, bleomycin-induced fibrosis was dependent upon CAT2. Mechanistic analysis revealed that arginase activity in macrophages was partly dependent on CAT2.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results identify CAT2 as a regulator of fibrotic responses in the lung.