Thrombomodulin mutant mice with a strongly reduced capacity to generate activated protein C have an unaltered pulmonary immune response to respiratory pathogens and lipopolysaccharide

Blood. 2004 Mar 1;103(5):1702-9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2002-05-1380. Epub 2003 Oct 30.

Abstract

The thrombomodulin-protein C-protein S (TM-PC-PS) pathway exerts anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the role of TM in the pulmonary immune response in vivo by the use of mice with a mutation in the TM gene (TM(pro/pro)) that was earlier found to result in a minimal capacity for activated PC (APC) generation in the circulation. We here demonstrate that TM(pro/pro) mice also display a strongly reduced capacity to produce APC in the alveolar compartment upon intrapulmonary delivery of PC and thrombin. We monitored procoagulant and inflammatory changes in the lung during Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae) pneumonia and after local administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Bacterial pneumonia was associated with fibrin(ogen) depositions in the lung that colocalized with inflammatory infiltrates. LPS also induced a rise in thrombin-antithrombin complexes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These pulmonary procoagulant responses were unaltered in TM(pro/pro) mice, except for enhanced fibrin(ogen) deposition during pneumococcal pneumonia. In addition, TM(pro/pro) mice displayed unchanged antibacterial defense, neutrophil recruitment, and cytokine/chemokine levels. These data suggest that the capacity of TM to generate APC does not play a role of importance in the pulmonary response to respiratory pathogens or LPS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Inflammation
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Lung / immunology*
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Mutation
  • Neutrophils / metabolism
  • Protein C / metabolism*
  • Protein S / metabolism
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / metabolism
  • Thrombin / metabolism
  • Thrombomodulin / genetics*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Protein C
  • Protein S
  • Thrombomodulin
  • Thrombin