leucyl-leucine-methyl-ester and Inflammation

Particulate matter has been shown to stimulate the innate immune system and induce acute inflammation. Therefore, while nanotechnology has the potential to provide therapeutic formulations with improved efficacy, there are concerns such pharmaceutical preparations could induce unwanted inflammatory side effects. Accordingly, we aim to examine the utility of using the proteolytic activity signatures of cysteine proteases, caspase 1 and cathepsin S (CTSS), as biomarkers to assess particulate-induced inflammation.. Primary peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived macrophages from C57BL/6 mice and ctss(-/-) mice were exposed to micro- and nanoparticulates and also the lysosomotropic agent, L-leucyl-L-leucine methyl ester (LLOME). ELISA and immunoblot analyses were used to measure the IL-1β response in cells, generated by lysosomal rupture. Affinity-binding probes (ABPs), which irreversibly bind to the active site thiol of cysteine proteases, were then used to detect active caspase 1 and CTSS following lysosomal rupture. Reporter substrates were also used to quantify the proteolytic activity of these enzymes, as measured by substrate turnover.. We demonstrate that exposure to silica, alum and polystyrene particulates induces IL-1β release from macrophages, through lysosomal destabilization. IL-1β secretion positively correlated with an increase in the proteolytic activity signatures of intracellular caspase 1 and extracellular CTSS, which were detected using ABPs and reporter substrates. Interestingly IL-1β release was significantly reduced in primary macrophages from ctss(-/-) mice.. This study supports the emerging significance of CTSS as a regulator of the innate immune response, highlighting its role in regulating IL-1β release. Crucially, the results demonstrate the utility of intracellular caspase 1 and extracellular CTSS proteolytic activities as surrogate biomarkers of lysosomal rupture and acute inflammation. In the future, activity-based detection of these enzymes may prove useful for the real-time assessment of particle-induced inflammation and toxicity assessment during the development of nanotherapeutics.

Topics: Alum Compounds; Animals; Biomarkers; Caspase 1; Cathepsins; Cells, Cultured; Dipeptides; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Activation; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Interleukin-1beta; Kinetics; Lysosomes; Macrophages, Peritoneal; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Nanoparticles; Particulate Matter; Polystyrenes; Primary Cell Culture; Proteolysis; Silicon Dioxide; Substrate Specificity; Toxicity Tests

Recent studies have linked necrotic cell death and proteolysis of inflammatory proteins to the adaptive immune response mediated by the lysosome-destabilizing adjuvants, alum and Leu-Leu-OMe (LLOMe). However, the mechanism by which lysosome-destabilizing agents trigger necrosis and proteolysis of inflammatory proteins is poorly understood. The proteasome is a cellular complex that has been shown to regulate both necrotic cell death and proteolysis of inflammatory proteins. We found that the peptide aldehyde proteasome inhibitors, MG115 and MG132, block lysosome rupture, degradation of inflammatory proteins and necrotic cell death mediated by the lysosome-destabilizing peptide LLOMe. However, non-aldehyde proteasome inhibitors failed to prevent LLOMe-induced cell death suggesting that aldehyde proteasome inhibitors triggered a pleotropic effect. We have previously shown that cathepsin C controls lysosome rupture, necrotic cell death and the adaptive immune response mediated by LLOMe. Using recombinant cathepsin C, we found that aldehyde proteasome inhibitors directly block cathepsin C, which presumably prevents LLOMe toxicity. The cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074-Me also blocks lysosome rupture and necrotic cell death mediated by a wide range of necrosis inducers, including LLOMe. Using cathepsin-deficient cells and recombinant cathepsins, we demonstrate that the cathepsins B and C are not required for the CA-074-Me block of necrotic cell death. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that lysosome-destabilizing adjuvants trigger an early proteolytic cascade, involving cathepsin C and a CA-074-Me-dependent protease. Identification of these early events leading to lysosome rupture will be crucial in our understanding of processes controlling necrotic cell death and immune responses mediated by lysosome-destabilizing adjuvants.

Topics: Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; Aldehydes; Animals; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Toxins; Cathepsin B; Cathepsin C; Dipeptides; Inflammation; Leupeptins; Lysosomes; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Necrosis; Peptides; Proteasome Inhibitors; Proteolysis