CCL2 and CCL3 are essential mediators of pelvic pain in experimental autoimmune prostatitis

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2012 Sep 15;303(6):R580-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2012. Epub 2012 Jul 18.

Abstract

Experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) is a murine model of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in men, a syndrome characterized by chronic pelvic pain. We have demonstrated that chemokine ligands CCL2 and CCL3 are biomarkers that correlate with pelvic pain symptoms. We postulated that CCL2 and CCL3 play a functional role in CPPS and therefore examined their expression in EAP. Upon examination of the prostate 5 days after induction of EAP, CCL2 mRNA was elevated 2- to 3-fold, CCL8 by 15-fold, CCL12 by 12- to 13-fold, and CXCL9 by 2- to 4-fold compared with control mice. At 10 days the major chemokines were CXCL13 and CXCL2; at 20 days CCL2 (1- to 2-fold), CCL3 (2- to 3-fold) and CCL11 (2- to 3-fold); and at 30 days, CCL12 (20- to 35-fold) and smaller increases in CCL2, CCL3, and XCL1. Chemokine elevations were accompanied by increases in mast cells and B cells at 5 days, monocytes and neutrophils at day 10, CD4+ T cells at day 20, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at day 30. Anti-CCL2 and anti-CCL3 neutralizing antibodies administered at EAP onset attenuated pelvic pain development, but only anti-CCL2 antibodies were effective therapeutically. CCL2- and its cognate receptor CCR2-deficient mice were completely protected from development of pain symptoms but assumed susceptibility after reconstitution with wild-type bone marrow. CCL3-deficient mice showed resistance to the maintenance of pelvic pain while CCR5-deficient mice did not show any lessening of pelvic pain severity. These results suggest that the CCL2-CCR2 axis and CCL3 are important mediators of chronic pelvic pain in EAP.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases / metabolism*
  • Biomarkers
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Chemokine CCL2 / genetics
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism*
  • Chemokine CCL3 / genetics
  • Chemokine CCL3 / metabolism*
  • Chemotaxis
  • Chronic Disease
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Leukocytes / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Pain / metabolism*
  • Prostate / cytology
  • Prostate / pathology
  • Prostatitis / metabolism*
  • Receptors, CCR2 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR5 / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Ccl2 protein, mouse
  • Ccl3 protein, mouse
  • Ccr2 protein, mouse
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Chemokine CCL3
  • Receptors, CCR2
  • Receptors, CCR5