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HIF-1? is involved in blood-brain barrier dysfunction and paracellular migration of bacteria in pneumococcal meningitis.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial meningitis is a deadly disease most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, leading to severe neurological sequelae including cerebral edema, seizures, stroke, and mortality when untreated. Meningitis is initiated by the transfer of S. pneumoniae from blood to the brain across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier or the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Current treatment strategies include adjuvant dexamethasone for inflammation and cerebral edema, followed by antibiotics. The success of dexamethasone is however inconclusive, necessitating new therapies for controlling edema, the primary reason for neurological complications. Since we have previously shown a general activation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1?) in bacterial infections, we hypothesized that HIF-1?, via induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in transmigration of pathogens across the BBB. In human, murine meningitis brain samples, HIF-1? activation was observed by immunohistochemistry. S. pneumoniae infection in brain endothelial cells (EC) resulted in in vitro upregulation of HIF-1?/VEGF (Western blotting/qRT-PCR) associated with increased paracellular permeability (fluorometry, impedance measurements). This was supported by bacterial localization at cell-cell junctions in vitro and in vivo in brain ECs from mouse and humans (confocal, super-resolution, electron microscopy, live-cell imaging). Hematogenously infected mice showed increased permeability, S. pneumoniae deposition in the brain, along with upregulation of genes in the HIF-1?/VEGF pathway (RNA sequencing of brain microvessels). Inhibition of HIF-1? with echinomycin, siRNA in bEnd5 cells or using primary brain ECs from HIF-1? knock-out mice revealed reduced endothelial permeability and transmigration of S. pneumoniae. Therapeutic rescue using the HIF-1? inhibitor echinomycin resulted in increased survival and improvement of BBB function in S. pneumoniae-infected mice. We thus demonstrate paracellular migration of bacteria across BBB and a critical role for HIF-1?/VEGF therein and hence propose targeting this pathway to prevent BBB dysfunction and ensuing brain damage in infections.

SUBMITTER: Devraj G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7360668 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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HIF-1α is involved in blood-brain barrier dysfunction and paracellular migration of bacteria in pneumococcal meningitis.

Devraj Gayatri G Guérit Sylvaine S Seele Jana J Spitzer Daniel D Macas Jadranka J Khel Maryam I MI Heidemann Roxana R Braczynski Anne K AK Ballhorn Wibke W Günther Stefan S Ogunshola Omolara O OO Mittelbronn Michel M Ködel Uwe U Monoranu Camelia M CM Plate Karl H KH Hammerschmidt Sven S Nau Roland R Devraj Kavi K Kempf Volkhard A J VAJ

Acta neuropathologica 20200611 2

Bacterial meningitis is a deadly disease most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, leading to severe neurological sequelae including cerebral edema, seizures, stroke, and mortality when untreated. Meningitis is initiated by the transfer of S. pneumoniae from blood to the brain across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier or the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Current treatment strategies include adjuvant dexamethasone for inflammation and ...[more]

PMID: 32529267

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Project description:Background & aimsAlcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by gut dysbiosis and increased gut permeability. Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) has been implicated in transcriptional regulation of intestinal barrier integrity and inflammation. We aimed to test the hypothesis that HIF-1α plays a critical role in gut microbiota homeostasis and the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity in a mouse model of ALD.MethodsWild-type (WT) and intestinal epithelial-specific Hif1a knockout mice (IEhif1α-/-) were pair-fed modified Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% (w/v) alcohol or isocaloric maltose dextrin for 24 days. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and endotoxin were determined. Fecal microbiota were assessed. Liver steatosis and injury, and intestinal barrier integrity were evaluated.ResultsAlcohol feeding increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and lipopolysaccharide, hepatic triglyceride concentration, and liver injury in the WT mice. These deleterious effects were exaggerated in IEhif1α-/- mice. Alcohol exposure resulted in greater reduction of the expression of intestinal epithelial tight junction proteins, claudin-1 and occludin, in IEhif1α-/- mice. In addition, cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide and intestinal trefoil factor were further decreased by alcohol in IEhif1α-/- mice. Metagenomic analysis showed increased gut dysbiosis and significantly decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in IEhif1α-/- mice compared to the WT mice exposed to alcohol. An increased abundance of Akkermansia and a decreased level of Lactobacillus in IEhif1α-/- mice were also observed. Non-absorbable antibiotic treatment reversed the liver steatosis in both WT and IEhif1α-/- mice.ConclusionIntestinal HIF-1α is essential for the adaptative response to alcohol-induced changes in intestinal microbiota and barrier function associated with elevated endotoxemia and hepatic steatosis and injury.Lay summaryAlcohol consumption alters gut microbiota and multiple intestinal barrier protecting factors that are regulated by intestinal hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Absence of intestinal HIF-1α exacerbates gut leakiness leading to an increased translocation of bacteria and bacterial products to the liver, consequently causing alcoholic liver disease. Intestinal specific upregulation of HIF-1α could be developed as a novel approach for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

Project description:BackgroundVentricular remodeling is the adaptive process in which the heart undergoes changes due to stress, leading to heart failure (HF). The progressive decline in cardiac function is considered to contribute to intestinal barrier impairment. LuQi Formula (LQF) is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation widely used in the treatment of ventricular remodeling and HF. However, the role of LQF in the impairment of intestinal barrier function induced by ventricular remodeling remains unclear.Materials and methodsVentricular remodeling was induced in rats by permanently ligating the left anterior descending branch coronary artery, and cardiac function indexes were assessed using echocardiography. Heart and colon tissue morphology were observed by hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome and Alcian Blue Periodic acid Schiff staining. Myocardial cell apoptosis was detected using TUNEL and immunohistochemistry. Circulatory levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), intestinal permeability markers endotoxin, D-lactate and zonulin, as well as inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in colon tissue were detected by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Cardiac function indexes and intestinal permeability markers of patients with HF were analyzed before and after 2-4 months of LQF treatment.ResultsLQF protected cardiac function and alleviated myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis in rats with ventricular remodeling. LQF protected the intestinal barrier integrity in ventricular remodeling rats, including maintaining colonic tissue morphology, preserving the number of goblet cells and normal expression of TJ proteins. Furthermore, LQF upregulated the expression of HIF-1α protein in colon tissue. Intervention with a HIF-1α inhibitor weakened the protective effect of LQF on intestinal barrier integrity. Moreover, a reduction of HIF-1α aggravated ventricular remodeling, which could be alleviated by LQF. Correspondingly, the circulating levels of intestinal permeability markers and BNP in HF patients were significantly decreased, and cardiac function markedly improved following LQF treatment.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that LQF effectively protected cardiac function by preserving intestinal barrier integrity caused by ventricular remodeling, at least partially through upregulating HIF-1α expression.

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Dataset Information

HIF-1? is involved in blood-brain barrier dysfunction and paracellular migration of bacteria in pneumococcal meningitis.

Publications

HIF-1α is involved in blood-brain barrier dysfunction and paracellular migration of bacteria in pneumococcal meningitis.

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