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The Role of T‐Lymphocytes in Hypercholesterolemia‐Induced Leukocyte‐Endothelial Interactions
Author(s) -
STOKES KAREN Y.,
CLANTON E. CHRIS,
BOWLES KIMBERLY S.,
FUSELER JOHN W.,
CHERVENAK DEBORAH,
CHERVENAK ROBERT,
JENNINGS STEPHEN R.,
GRANGER D. NEIL
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
microcirculation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.793
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1549-8719
pISSN - 1073-9688
DOI - 10.1038/sj.mn.7800148
Subject(s) - intravital microscopy , cd8 , immunology , endothelium , microcirculation , cell adhesion , cell adhesion molecule , chemistry , biology , medicine , endocrinology , immune system , cell , biochemistry
Objective : Hypercholesterolemia promotes the adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelium in large and microscopic blood vessels. Lymphocytes that can modulate endothelial cell adhesion molecule expression have been implicated in the altered structure and function of large arterial vessels associated with chronic hypercholesterolemia. This study assesses the contribution of CD4 + and CD8 + T‐cells to acute inflammatory responses observed in the microcirculation of hypercholesterolemic mice. Methods : Intravital microscopy was used to quantify baseline leukocyte‐endothelial cell interactions in cremasteric postcapillary venules of wild‐type (WT) and severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice placed on a normal (ND) or high‐cholesterol (HC) diet for 2 weeks. A group of SCID‐HC mice received splenocytes from WT‐HC mice (WT→SCID). Separate WT‐HC groups were depleted of neutrophils or CD4 + and/or CD8 + T‐cells. Results : WT‐HC mice, compared with WT‐ND, exhibited exaggerated leukocyte adherence and emigration. These leukocytes were predominantly granulocytes. These responses were absent in neutropenic WT‐HC mice. SCID‐HC mice also showed significantly less leukocyte adherence and emigration than WT‐HC mice. Elevated leukocyte adherence and emigration were restored in WT→SCID mice, despite a continued absence of circulating blood lymphocytes. Selective depletion of either CD4 + or CD8 + cell populations attenuated HC‐induced leukocyte adhesion but not emigration. However, simultaneous depletion of both CD4 + and CD8 + cells attenuated both leukocyte adhesion and emigration to ND levels. Discussion : These findings indicate that both CD4 + and CD8 + T‐cells contribute to granulocyte adhesion and emigration elicited in postcapillary venules by hypercholesterolemia.