A central regulatory role for eosinophils and the eotaxin/CCR3 axis in chronic experimental allergic airway inflammation

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Oct 31;103(44):16418-23. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0607863103. Epub 2006 Oct 23.

Abstract

To clarify the role and regulation of eosinophils, we subjected several key eosinophil-related genetically engineered mice to a chronic model of allergic airway inflammation aiming to identify results that were independent of the genetic targeting strategy. In particular, mice with defects in eosinophil development (Deltadbl-GATA) and eosinophil recruitment [mice deficient in CCR3 (CCR3 knockout) and mice deficient in both eotaxin-1 and eotaxin-2 (eotaxin-1/2 double knockout)] were subjected to Aspergillus fumigatus-induced allergic airway inflammation. Allergen-induced eosinophil recruitment into the airway was abolished by 98%, 94%, and 99% in eotaxin-1/2 double knockout, CCR3 knockout, and Deltadbl-GATA mice, respectively. Importantly, allergen-induced type II T helper lymphocyte cytokine production was impaired in the lungs of eosinophil- and CCR3-deficient mice. The absence of eosinophils correlated with reduction in allergen-induced mucus production. Notably, by using global transcript expression profile analysis, a large subset (29%) of allergen-induced genes was eosinophil- and CCR3-dependent; pathways downstream from eosinophils were identified, including in situ activation of coagulation in the lung. In summary, we present multiple lines of independent evidence that eosinophils via CCR3 have a central role in chronic allergic airway disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Allergens / immunology
  • Animals
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / genetics
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / immunology*
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / metabolism
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / pathology*
  • Cell Movement
  • Chemokine CCL11
  • Chemokines, CC / deficiency
  • Chemokines, CC / genetics
  • Chemokines, CC / immunology*
  • Chemokines, CC / metabolism
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eosinophils / cytology
  • Eosinophils / immunology*
  • Eosinophils / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / deficiency
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Ligands
  • Mast Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mucus / immunology
  • Mucus / metabolism
  • Receptors, CCR3
  • Receptors, Chemokine / deficiency
  • Receptors, Chemokine / genetics
  • Receptors, Chemokine / immunology*
  • Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Ccl11 protein, mouse
  • Ccr3 protein, mouse
  • Chemokine CCL11
  • Chemokines, CC
  • Cytokines
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Ligands
  • Mcf2 protein, mouse
  • Receptors, CCR3
  • Receptors, Chemokine