| Title | CXCR2 is required for neutrophilic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of human rhinovirus infection. | ||
| Author | Nagarkar, Deepti R; Wang, Qiong; Shim, Jee; Zhao, Ying; Tsai, Wan C; Lukacs, Nicholas W; Sajjan, Uma; Hershenson, Marc B | ||
| Journal | J Immunol | Publication Year/Month | 2009-Nov |
| PMID | 19864593 | PMCID | PMC2952174 |
| Affiliation | 1.Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5688, USA. | ||
Human rhinovirus (RV) infection is responsible for the majority of virus-induced asthma exacerbations. Using a mouse model of human RV infection, we sought to determine the requirement of CXCR2, the receptor for ELR-positive CXC chemokines, for RV-induced airway neutrophilia and hyperresponsiveness. Wild-type and CXCR2(-/-) mice were inoculated intranasally with RV1B or sham HeLa cell supernatant. Following RV1B infection, CXCR2(-/-) mice showed reduced airway and lung neutrophils and cholinergic responsiveness compared with wild-type mice. Similar results were obtained in mice treated with neutralizing Ab to Ly6G, a neutrophil-depleting Ab. Lungs from RV-infected, CXCR2(-/-) mice showed significantly reduced production of TNF-alpha, MIP-2/CXCL2, and KC/CXCL1 and lower expression of MUC5B compared with RV-treated wild-type mice. The requirement of TNF-alpha for RV1B-induced airway responses was tested using TNFR1(-/-) mice. TNFR1(-/-) animals displayed reduced airway responsiveness to RV1B, even when exogenous MIP-2 was added to the airways. We conclude that CXCR2 is required for RV-induced neutrophilic airway inflammation and that neutrophil TNF-alpha release is required for airway hyperresponsiveness.