Alternative Pathway Inhibition by Exogenous Factor H Fails to Attenuate Inflammation and Vascular Leakage in Experimental Pneumococcal Sepsis in Mice

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 12;11(2):e0149307. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149307. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of sepsis. Effective complement activation is an important component of host defence against invading pathogens, whilst excessive complement activation has been associated with endothelial dysfunction and organ damage. The alternative pathway amplification loop is important for the enhancement of complement activation. Factor H is a key negative regulator of the alternative pathway amplification loop and contributes to tight control of complement activation. We assessed the effect of inhibition of the alternative pathway on sepsis associated inflammation and disease severity using human factor H treatment in a clinically relevant mice model of pneumococcal sepsis. Mice were infected intravenously with live Streptococcus pneumoniae. At the first clinical signs of infection, 17 hours post-infection, mice were treated with ceftriaxone antibiotic. At the same time purified human factor H or in controls PBS was administered. Treatment with human factor H did not attenuate disease scores, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, or vascular permeability and did not significantly affect C3 and C3a production at 26 h post-infection. Therefore, we conclude that inhibition of the alternative complement pathway by exogenous human factor H fails to attenuate inflammation and vascular leakage at a clinically relevant intervention time point in pneumococcal sepsis in mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Capillary Permeability / drug effects*
  • Ceftriaxone / therapeutic use*
  • Complement Factor H / therapeutic use
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Pneumococcal Infections / blood
  • Pneumococcal Infections / complications
  • Pneumococcal Infections / drug therapy*
  • Pneumococcal Infections / immunology
  • Sepsis / blood
  • Sepsis / complications
  • Sepsis / drug therapy*
  • Sepsis / immunology
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / drug effects*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • CFH protein, human
  • Cytokines
  • Ceftriaxone
  • Complement Factor H

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the European Union’s seventh Framework program [EC-GA#279185], European childhood life-threatening infectious diseases study (EUCLIDS) (RdG received the grant and salary of EvdM was paid by this grant). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.