Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Inflammation is a multifactorial response towards noxious stimuli, however appropriate regulation and resolution of inflammation is crucial for the prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is an endogenous immunomodulatory system which consists of a series of lipophilic ligands that signal via two G-protein-coupled receptors. Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is mainly expressed in the central nervous system and its activation has psychoactive effects. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) is mainly expressed on leukocytes and receptor activation has anti-inflammatory actions in mouse models of atherosclerosis and chronic inflammatory pain. It is considered that CB2R activation is involved in modulation of the recruitment of inflammatory cells, especially monocytes/macrophages; however the exact mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. We hypothesised that activation of CB2R modulates monocyte/ macrophage recruitment and signalling, thus providing a homeostatic mechanism to limit macrophage activation in inflammatory responses. The high lipophilicity of cannabinoid ligands and their lack of selectivity for CB2R over CB1R limits CB2R drug development. In collaboration with Dr Angela Russell, we used virtual screening and a CB2R cAMP assay that we validated to discover a novel CB2R agonist, 3-((2’-Cyanobenzyl)thio)-5H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indole, (DIAS2). In collaboration with Dr Russell’s group who did chemical synthesis, we extended this novel scaffold to include over 80 compounds. Using the same hCB2R cAMP screening assay we demonstrated that 16 compounds with the same scaffold are at active at CB2R in the nanomolar range. At least 3 compounds, including DIAS2, were found to be ≥ 300-fold selective for CB2R over CB1R in cAMP assays and radioligand binding studies. In the inflammatory model of zymosan-induced peritonitis, DIAS2 dose-dependently inhibited inflammatory monocyte recruitment by 50% at highest dose of 5 mg/kg with no effect on neutrophils. In further zymosan-induced peritonitis experiments 5 mg/kg of DIAS2 and a structurally-similar CB2R agonist from the same family of triazino-indoles inhibited monocyte recruitment while a different CB2R agonist (JWH-133) at 5 mg/kg did not inhibit monocyte recruitment. Analysis of peritoneal exudates showed that the inhibition of monocyte recruitment was not associated with changes in the levels of JE, MIP-1α and nitric oxide but was associated with increased levels of the chemokine KC. Using in vitro cell biology approaches, we demonstrated that 10μΜ dose of both DIAS2 and JWH-133 reduced forskolin-induced cAMP production in primary murine macrophages. Also 2.5 to 10 μΜ οf JWH-133 and HU-308 dose-dependently induced primary murine macrophage chemotaxis which could be blocked a CB2R antagonist (SR 144528, 1 μΜ) while DIAS2 at doses up to 10 μΜ was not a chemoattractant. Accordingly HU-308 and JWH-133 were at least 3-fold more efficacious than DIAS2 at recruiting β-arrestin to the murine CB2R. Moreover in studies with primary murine macrophages 10 μΜ dose of JWH-133 and HU-308 induced ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation within 30 minutes, while 2-AG (an endogenous eCB ligand) and DIAS2 at 10 μΜ had no such effect. In summary, we have discovered a novel family CB2R agonists and demonstrated that some devoid of chemotactic active CB2R agonists can reduce monocyte recruitment in vivo while other chemoattractant CB2R agonists have no in vivo anti-inflammatory effect. We propose that non-chemotactic CB2R agonists represent a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs with a novel mode of action.

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Thesis advisor: Kenneth C. Williams / Elucidating the mechanisms through which viral infection and persistence in CNS occurs is critical to understanding the development and progression of neurological disease. To date, no study has demonstrated that monocyte traffic in HIV and SIV infection directly results in neuronal injury. The central hypothesis in this thesis is that continuous trafficking of monocytes into tissues is essential for pathogenesis with viral infection. In the dissertation work presented here, two studies addressed this hypothesis. In Chapter 2, experiments examining the role of peripheral monocyte activation in the development of neuroAIDS using the tetracycline antibiotic minocycline will be described. We hypothesized that decreased monocyte activation with minocycline treatment would play a neuroprotective role in the context of rapid SIV infection with a high incidence of SIV encephalitis (SIVE). We observed a reversal of neuronal injury within days of minocycline treatment that correlated with loss of monocyte activation. From these findings we concluded that decreased activation of monocytes results in lower CNS traffic. However this effect may have occurred due to lower plasma virus, decreased SIV infection of monocytes, or the ability of minocycline to cross the BBB and modulate changes within the CNS directly. In Chapter 3 of this thesis, we hypothesized that continuous traffic of activated monocytes from the periphery into the CNS is required for neuronal injury with AIDS, and that by effectively stopping monocyte accumulation, CNS pathology can be blocked or reversed. We also hypothesized that monocyte trafficking is necessary for the seeding of brain and small intestine with cell-associated virus. In order to test these hypotheses, we utilized the anti-α4 blocking antibody natalizumab (Tysabri; Biogen Idec), which selectively binds to the α4 subunit of α4β1 (VLA-4) and α4β7 integrins, preventing the interaction between α4 and its various ligands. To address the first hypothesis, natalizumab was administered after four weeks of infection once significant neuronal damage had already occurred. We found that preventing cell traffic with natalizumab is sufficient to stabilize neuronal injury and loss, demonstrating conclusively that stopping monocyte traffic stabilizes CNS disease. To address the second hypothesis, rhesus macaques were treated with natalizumab on the day of SIV infection. Natalizumab treatment completely blocked SIV infection in the brain, and virus traffic to the small intestine was significantly suppressed. Overall, these studies demonstrate that continuous traffic of monocytes is required for neuronal injury and the formation of CNS lesions, and that early trafficking of leukocytes is critical for seeding of the CNS and contributes to seeding of the small intestine with virus. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Biology.

Thesis advisor: Thomas N. Seyfried / Thesis advisor: Charles Hoffman / Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, BMP, is a negatively charged glycerol-phospholipid with an unusual sn-1;sn-1’ structural configuration. BMP is primarily enriched in endosomal/lysosomal membranes. BMP is thought to play a role in glycosphingolipid degradation and cholesterol transport. It constitutes only about 1-2% of the total phospholipids in most mammalian cells, but is abundant in lung alveolar macrophages where it can comprise up to 16% of the total phospholipids. BMP also accumulates in tissues of humans and animals with lysosomal storage disorders. However, little information is available on BMP levels in gangliosidosis brain tissue. In this work, I found that total BMP content was significantly greater in cells of macrophage/microglial origin than in cells of macroglial origin (astrocyte, oligodendrocyte progenitor), whether normal or tumorigenic. I also observed that BMP in brain was significantly greater in humans and in animals (mice, cats, American black bears) with either GM1 or GM2 ganglioside storage diseases, than in brains of normal subjects. Since BMP is associated with macrophages, I also analyzed the BMP levels in relation to disease-associated inflammation in gangliosidoses. I found that BMP levels were increased due to accumulation of primary storage material gangliosides, rather than an outcome of disease-associated inflammation. In addition, in this thesis I also explored the effect of new ketogenic diet formula from Solace Nutrition (KetoGen) on the growth and metastatic spread of the VM-M3 tumor. Most current drug therapies for cancer are toxic and only marginally effective in providing long-term management. Respiratory insufficiency with compensatory aerobic fermentation (Warburg effect) is the hallmark biochemical phenotype of nearly all neoplastic cells within tumors. Calorie restriction, which lowers blood glucose and elevates ketone bodies, is known to reduce tumor growth to a certain extent, however it does not reduce systemic metastasis. Tumor bearing VM mice were fed either a standard lab chow diet in unrestricted amounts (SD-UR), a standard lab chow restricted to obtain an 18% reduction in body weight (SD-R), or the KetoGen diet restricted (KG-R) to match the body weights of the SD-R group. Tumor size was significantly smaller and organ metastasis was significantly less in the KG-R group than in the SD-UR or SD-R groups. Even though blood glucose was reduced similarly in both the SD-R and KG-R groups, blood ketones were 3-fold higher in the KG-R group than in the SD-R group. These results show that VM-M3 tumor growth and systemic metastasis were managed better with the restricted KetoGen KD than with calorie restriction of a high carbohydrate standard diet. As all human and mouse tumors cells suffer from respiratory insufficiency, my findings suggest that the restricted KetoGen diet should be an effective non-toxic therapy against tumor growth and systemic metastatic cancer. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Biology.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is commonly found in the nasopharynx of healthy individuals, yet it can be a serious pathogen, particularly in the lower respiratory tract, where it can cause severe pneumonia. During pneumococcal pneumonia, anti-bacterial host defense requires the orchestrated expression of innate immunity mediators, initiated by alveolar macrophages and dependent on transcriptional activity driven by Nuclear Factor-𝜅B (NF-𝜅B). Although the initiation of a pulmonary inflammatory response is critical to anti-pneumococcal defense during pneumonia, how differences in pneumococcal-macrophage interactions can influence this process is unclear. To determine the functional significance of varying macrophage NF-𝜅B activation, we examined macrophage responses to pneumococcal stimulation in culture and in mice. Macrophage-pneumococcal interactions resulted in the induction of varied NF-𝜅B activation. Two main pathways were revealed regarding host response and disease outcome. Pneumococci that induced efficient macrophage NF-𝜅B activation resulted in robust anti-pneumococcal lung defense and bacterial clearance. Conversely, failure to activate effective macrophage NF-𝜅B signaling resulted in an altered macrophage response of necroptosis. Overall, we conclude that varying levels of macrophage NF-𝜅B activation by pneumococcus can directly influence the severity of infection. Furthermore, inefficient macrophage NF-𝜅B activation can also have cytotoxic effects on these critical lung resident cells during pneumonia. The induction of macrophage NF-𝜅B activation by S. pneumoniae is as diverse as the population of pneumococcal isolates in the community. A unique host-pathogen interaction exists between pneumococcus and the alveolar macrophage that plays an important role in anti-pneumococcal defense during pneumonia and in the prevention of cytotoxic consequences induced by virulent pneumococci. This interaction suggests that therapies, which modulate NF-𝜅B activation, hold promise for augmenting resistance and ameliorating deleterious effects during pneumococcal pneumonia that could lead to the development of severe disease.

We aimed to characterize well-know PIDs, novel genetic defects and immunopathological mechanisms in Brazilian patients with susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases. The patients developed different mycobacterial diseases and M. tuberculosis was the most frequent species. Molecular and genetic analysis revealed mutations in different genes: RAG1 (P1), CD40LG (P2, P3, P4), NEMO (P5), NCF1 (P6), TLR2 (P7) IL-12Rb2 (P8), IL-12Rb1 (P9), TLR10 (P10), DKC1(P11), SOCS-1(P12) and IRAK2 (P13). Finally, MDMs from patients phagocytose normally but were unable to appropriately control intracellular M. tuberculosis growth in comparison to MDMs from healthy subjects. We concluded that the Brazilian patients have heterogeneous mutations previously associated with susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases and novel genetic variations were identified suggesting novel PIDs. In addition, the inability of MDMs to control the intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis indicates this contributes to patients´ susceptibility to mycobacterial infections. / Objetivamos identificar novos defeitos genéticos e mecanismos imunopatológicos em pacientes brasileiros com suscetibilidade a infecções por micobactérias. Os pacientes foram investigados se portadores de imunodeficiencias previamente caracterizadas tais como SCID, deficiência de CD40L, MSMD, defeitos na sinalização via TLRs e CGD. A análise genética foi realizada por sequenciamento Sanger e \'\'whole exome sequencing\'\' para identificar possíveis novas imunodeficiências primárias. Além disso a função dos macrófagos dos pacientes foi avaliada. Infecções por diferentes espécies de micobactérias foram apresentadas pelos pacientes, sendo M. tuberculosis a espécie mais frequentemente identificada. Mutações em diferentes genes foram encontradas: RAG1 (P1), CD40LG (P2, P3, P4), NEMO (P5), NCF1 (P6), TLR2 (P7), IL-12Rb2 (P8), IL-12Rb1 (P9), IRAK2 (P10), SOCS-1 (P11) e TLR10 (P12). MDMs dos pacientes fagocitaram normalmente M. tuberculosis, porém reduzida capacidade em inibir o crescimento da M. tuberculosis foi observada. Concluímos que os pacientes estudados possuem defeitos moleculares heterogêneos e que os MDMs desses indivíduos apresentam falhas no controle do crescimento da M. tuberculosis. Nossos dados sugerem que esses são fatores subjacentes à susceptibilidade a infecções por micobactérias nesses indivíduos.

Sabe-se que a desnutrição modifica a resposta imune específica e inespecífica do organismo frente a agentes infecciosos comprometendo a produção e a função de células linfo-hemopoéticas, estando associada a modificações da resposta imune, resultando em maior suscetibilidade à infecções, porém os mecanismos exatos que comprometem o sistema imune em estados de desnutrição ainda estão para serem esclarecidos. A literatura relata que aproximadamente 60% das infecções que evoluem para sepse são adquiridas no ambiente hospitalar, envolvendo geralmente bactérias Gram negativas e incidindo especialmente em indivíduos com nutrição inadequada. Considerando tais aspectos e em função da complexidade da interação do estado nutricional e resposta do organismo frente a agentes patogênicos, envolvendo controles celulares e moleculares múltiplos ainda pouco conhecidos, propusemo-nos a estudar alguns aspectos da resposta inflamatória em desnutrição. Camundongos Swiss machos adultos, submetidos a desnutrição protéica-energética, após perda de aproximadamente 25% do peso corpóreo, foram inoculados com lipopolissacarideo de Escherichia coli: Hemograma, mielograma, esplenograma e dosagens sistêmicas de citocinas, foram realizadas. Células coletadas da cavidade peritonial de animais que não foram estimulados com LPS foram utilizadas para as determinações de citocinas e NO in vitro, bem como para quantificação dos receptores CD14 e TLR-4/MD-2 e do fator de transcrição NFκB. Células da cavidade peritonial foram usadas, também, para realização dos testes de espraiamento, fagocitose e atividade cida com Candida albicans. Animais desnutridos apresentaram anemia, leucopenia; severa redução na celularidade da medula óssea, do baço e da cavidade peritonial. A capacidade de espraiamento, fagocitose, atividade cida e síntese de citocinas e NO foram significativamente menores nos animais dos grupo desnutrido. O número de receptores de CD14 e TLR-4/MD-2 e do fator de transrição NFκB, também foram significativamente menores nos animais desnutridos. Estes achados sugerem que. animais desnutridos apresentam resposta deficiente frente ao LPS. A menor expressão de receptores CD14 e TLR-4/MD-2 pode ser responsável, em parte pela imunodepressão observada. Os dados nos levam a inferir que o estado nutricional interfere no estado de ativação de macrófagos e na capacidade de resposta dos animais. / Malnutrition modifies the specific and non-specific immune response of the organism to infectious agents, hampering the production and function of Iympho-hemopoietic cells leading to a higher susceptibility of the orgonism to infections. However, the exact mechanisms by which the immune system is undermined has not yet been fully elucidated. Approximately 60% of infections that evolve to bacteremia are nosocomial, and usually involve Gram negative bacteria in individuais that have inadequate nutrition. Taking this into consideration, and in view of the complexity of the interaction between nutritional state and the organism\' s response to infection, which involves poorly known multiple cellular and molecular controls, we proposed to study a few aspects of the inflammatory response in protein malnutrition. Male, outbred Swiss mice were sumbitted to protein malnutrition and after the loss of about 25% of total body weight they were inoculad whith lipopolissacharide of Escherichia coli: Hemogram, mielogram, splenogram and the determination of systemic production of cytokines were used to evaluate. Cells from the peritoneal cavity of animais who were not inoculated were collected for determination of cytokines and NO production in vitro and to evaluate the expression of NFκB and CD14 and TLR-4/MD-2 receptors. Cells from the peritoneal cavity were used too for the spreading, phagocytosis and killing tests with Candida albicans. Malnourished animais presented anemia, leucopenia a severe reduction on bone marrow, spleen and peritoneal cavity cellularity. The spreading, phagocytosis, killing and the production of cytokines and NO was significantly lower in malnourished animais. The number of CD14 and TLR-4/MD-2 receptors and NFκB was found to be significantly lower in malnourished animais. These findings suggest that malnourished mice present a deficient response to LPS. The smaller expression of CD14 and TLR-4/MD-2 receptors may be partly responsible for the immunodeficiency observed. These data lead us to infer that the nutritional state interferes in the activation of macrophages and in the immune response capacity.

Indivíduos diabéticos apresentam incidência elevada de doenças infecciosas. Isto pode estar relacionado às alterações na capacidade da resposta destes indivíduos aos agentes agressores. Em animais diabéticos, algumas destas alterações já foram descritas, assim como sua reversão pela administração de insulina. Este hormônio regula o metabolismo celular, modulando a atividade de proteínas e mediadores inflamatórios envolvidos neste processo. Sabemos que o lipopolissacarídeo (LPS) estimula, em macrófagos alveolares (MA) de animais não-diabéticos, a liberação do fator de necrose tumoral (TNF)-&#945; e do óxido nítrico (NO). O pré-tratamento deste MA com insulina inibiu todos estes efeitos. Assim, neste projeto, avaliamos o papel da insulina em MA e macrófagos peritoneais (MP) de camundongos, tornados diabéticos pela indução com aloxana (60 mg/kg, i.v.). Uma suspensão contendo 1x106 células foi estimulada com LPS (100 ng/mL) na presença ou não de insulina (1mU/mL). Realizamos a evolução temporal (0,5; 1; 3; 6; 24 horas) para a dosagem de NO, TNF-&#945; e interleucina (IL)-10. Nos tempos de maior produção destas citocinas (0,5 e 3 horas), também quantificamos IL-6, interferon (IFN)-&#947; e IL-4. Nossos resultados mostram que a produção/liberação dos mediadores imunes por MA e MP estimulados por LPS, quando tratados simultaneamente com insulina, tiveram uma redução. Assim, a produção/liberação de NO foi reduzida durante 0,5; 1; 3; 6, 24 horas, em MA e em MP; a liberação de TNF-&#945; foi reduzida durante 0,5 hora, em MP; a liberação de IL-6 foi reduzida durante 3 horas, em MA, e 0,5 hora, em MP. Estes dados mostram que a insulina reduziu a liberação destes mediadores inflamatórios, tanto para os MA quanto para os MP, durante o estímulo com LPS, de animais diabéticos já nos primeiros minutos de estímulo com LPS, com um pico de redução, na maioria das vezes, em 3 horas. / Diabetic patients exhibit high incidence of infectious diseases, at least in part, by due impaired immune response against aggressive agents. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers the releasing of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and nitric oxide (NO) by alveolar macrophages (AM) of non-diabetic animals. The pretreatment using insulin inhibited of these cytokine release. The aim in the present study was to evaluate the insulin role on releasing of cytokines by MA and peritoneal macrophages (MP) of diabetic mouse. Resident AM and MP from diabetic (alloxan 60 mg/kg, i.v.) male C57BL/6 mice (CEUA/FCF/USP-339) stimulated by LPS (100 ng/mL). Insulin (1 mU/mL) insulin treatment was simultaneously with stimulus by LPS. Cytokines were measured by ELISA, and NO by Griess reaction. We performed a time course (0,5; 1; 3; 6; 24 hours), and measured NO, TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-10. We also measured IL-6, interferon (IFN)-&#947;, and IL-4 in 0.5 and 3 hours. Results were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by multiple comparison Tukey-Kramer or the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. P value were considered when <0.05. Before the induction of diabetes by alloxan injection in day 0 animals showed: weight (26±0,3 g) and blood glucose concentration (164±2,6 mg/dL) - and 10 days after the onset of the disease, diabetic mice presented a lower weight gain (24 ± 0,4 g*) and elevated blood glucose concentration (546±9,7 mg/dL*). An increase was seen NO release levels and TNF-alpha in the time course (Figure 1); an increase of IL-6 in 3 hours (Figure 3), and a decrease of IL-4 in 3 hours (Figure 5) after LPS stimulation of MA in diabetic animals. In MP, there was an increase of NO levels, and TNF-alpha in the time course (Figure 2); in 3 hours increased IL-6 levels (Figure 4) - under the same conditions. Insulin treatment under stimulation by LPS in MA reduced the levels of NO, IL-6, and TNF-alpha compared to the group stimulated by LPS. Regarding MP, insulin treatment also decreased NO levels, TNF-alpha, and IL-6. IL-4 levels produced by MP, and IFN-&#947; levels were not be detected in MA and MP under stimulation by LPS, or in the presence of hormone. These findings suggest that insulin reduce the release of these inflammatory mediators by both resident macrophages of diabetic animals concomitantly stimulation by LPS