Carboxylesterase 1d Inactivation Augments Lung Inflammation in Mice

Carboxylesterases are members of the serine hydrolase superfamily and metabolize drugs, pesticides, and lipids. Previous research showed that inhibition of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) in human macrophages altered the immunomodulatory effects of lipid mediators called prostaglandin glyceryl esters, which are produced by cyclooxygenase-catalyzed oxygenation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Ces1d - the mouse ortholog of human CES1 - is the most abundant Ces isoform in murine lung tissues and alveolar macrophages and a major target of organophosphate poisons. Monoacylglycerol lipase (Magl) is also expressed in murine lung and is the main enzyme responsible for 2-AG catabolism. Several metabolic benefits are observed in Ces1d^-/- mice fed a high-fat diet; thus, we wondered whether pharmacological and genetic inactivation of Ces1d in vivo might also ameliorate the acute inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6 mice were treated with WWL229 (Ces1d inhibitor) or JZL184 (Magl inhibitor), followed 30 min later by either LPS or saline. Wild-type (WT) and Ces1d^-/- mice were also administered LPS to determine the effect of Ces1d knockout. Mice were sacrificed at 6 and 24 h, and cytokines were assessed in serum, lung, liver, and adipose tissues. Lipid mediators were quantified in lung tissues, while activity-based protein profiling and enzyme assays determined the extent of lung serine hydrolase inactivation by the inhibitors. WWL229 was shown to augment LPS-induced lung inflammation in a female-specific manner, as measured by enhanced neutrophil infiltration and Il1b mRNA. The marked Ces inhibition in female lung by 4 h after drug treatment might explain this sex difference, although the degree of Ces inhibition in female and male lungs was similar at 6 h. In addition, induction of lung Il6 mRNA and prostaglandin E₂ by LPS was more pronounced in Ces1d^-/- mice than in WT mice. Thus, WWL229 inhibited lung Ces1d activity and augmented the female lung innate immune response, an effect observed in part in Ces1d^-/- mice and Ces1d/CES1-deficient murine and human macrophages. In contrast, JZL184 attenuated LPS-induced Il1b and Il6 mRNA levels in female lung, suggesting that Ces1d and Magl have opposing effects. Mapping the immunomodulatory molecules/pathways that are regulated by Ces1d in the context of lung inflammation will require further research.