Goat cathelicidin-2 is secreted by blood leukocytes regardless of lipopolysaccharide stimulation

It has been reported that goat cathelicidin-2, an antimicrobial peptide, localizes in leukocytes and is present in milk. Here, we examined whether cathelicidin-2 is secreted by leukocytes. Different concentrations (10(5)-10(8) cells/mL) of blood leukocytes were cultured for 0-48 h with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After culture, the concentrations of cathelicidin-2 in the conditioned media were measured. Blood was collected from male goats 0-24 h after the intravenous injection of Escherichia coli O111:B4 LPS. The plasma cathelicidin-2 concentrations were determined and the blood leukocytes immunostained with anti-cathelicidin-2 antibody to calculate the proportion of cathelicidin-2-positive cells in the total leukocytes. When higher concentrations of leukocytes were cultured, the cathelicidin-2 concentrations in the media increased significantly, whereas the addition of LPS to the media caused no further increase. The plasma cathelicidin-2 concentrations did not increase with time after LPS infusion. The proportion of cathelicidin-2-positive cells in the total leukocytes was significantly reduced 1 h after LPS injection compared with that at 0 h, but increased again at 6 h and thereafter. These results suggest that cathlicidin-2 is secreted by leukocytes even without LPS stimulation, whereas LPS may be required for cathelicidin-2-containing leukocytes to be recruited from the blood to tissues showing inflammation.