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Neutrophils released from the bone marrow by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor sequester in lung microvessels but

S F van Eeden1, E Lawrence, Y Sato

  • 1University of British Columbia, Pulmonary Research Laboratory, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.

Insights

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) releases new polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) from bone marrow. These G-CSF-released PMNL preferentially accumulate in lung capillaries but migrate slowly into airspaces during pneumonia.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used to enhance host defense against infection.
  • The precise behavior of G-CSF-released leukocytes at inflammatory sites remains unclear.
  • Understanding leukocyte dynamics is crucial for optimizing infection response strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sequestration and migration patterns of G-CSF-released polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in a rabbit model of Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia.
  • To determine if G-CSF-primed PMNL exhibit altered behavior in the pulmonary vasculature and airspaces.
  • To evaluate the deformability of G-CSF-released PMNL.

Main Methods:

  • Rabbits were pretreated with human G-CSF or saline.
  • Focal Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia was induced.
  • The thymidine analogue 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was used to label newly released PMNL from the bone marrow.
  • PMNL and PMNL(BrdU) counts in blood and lung were quantified using immunohistochemistry.
  • Morphometric analysis of lung capillaries and airspaces was performed.
  • In vitro studies assessed PMNL deformability.

Main Results:

  • G-CSF pretreatment significantly increased circulating PMNL and BrdU-labeled PMNL (PMNL(BrdU)) counts.
  • G-CSF treatment led to increased sequestration of PMNL in lung capillaries, with a higher proportion of PMNL(BrdU) compared to circulating blood.
  • PMNL(BrdU) constituted a significantly lower percentage of PMNL that migrated into airspaces compared to those in pulmonary capillaries.
  • G-CSF-released PMNL were found to be less deformable than unlabelled circulating PMNL.

Conclusions:

  • G-CSF treatment mobilizes PMNL from the bone marrow that preferentially sequester in lung microvessels.
  • These G-CSF-mobilized PMNL exhibit impaired migration from the vascular space into the airspaces at the site of pneumonia.
  • The reduced deformability of G-CSF-released PMNL may contribute to their preferential sequestration in lung capillaries.

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