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L-selectin is an adhesion molecule that mediates the recruitment of neutrophils to inflammatory sites and initiates the migration of lymphocytes into the peripheral lymph nodes. In response to cell activation, L-selectin is shed from the cell surface, and altered levels of functional soluble L-selectin are detected in the plasma of patients suffering from numerous inflammatory diseases as well as AIDS. The mechanism that regulates L-selectin shedding is poorly understood. Here we show that a hydroxamate-based metalloprotease inhibitor, N-(D,L-[2-(hydroxyaminocarbonyl)- methyl]-4-methylpentano)-L-3-(tert-butyl)-alanyl-L-alanine, 2-aminoethyl amide, which blocks leukocyte TNF, TNF receptor, and IL-6 receptor release, also inhibits L-selectin shedding from neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes. Moreover, we show that such inhibition of L-selectin shedding profoundly affects neutrophil aggregation and permits reaggregation in the presence of a heterologous stimulus.

Emigration of leukocytes at sites of inflammation is initiated by the selectin family of carbohydrate-binding adhesion molecules. Molecular crossbridges initiate rolling of cells along the vascular endothelium where chemokines such as IL-8 and platelet activating factor (PAF) may be presented to their receptors on the leukocyte surface resulting in cell stimulation. Integrin activation appears to be a requirement for subsequent cell localization and diapedesis into the tissue. Several recent reports have demonstrated that ligation and cross-linking of neutrophil L-selectin results in neutrophil activation, including intracellular calcium release, superoxide production, and induction of mRNA for production of IL-8 and TNF-alpha. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ligation and cross-linking of L-selectin would specifically result in activation of beta 2-integrin-dependent adhesion. A fluorescence flow cytometric assay was developed that directly measures Mac-1-dependent cell adhesion. Fluorescent latex beads (2-microns diameter) were adsorbed with albumin or fibrinogen and added in excess to human neutrophils in a shear-stirred suspension. Following stimulation the kinetics of bead capture by neutrophils was continuously measured in real time on the flow cytometer. The onset of bead binding was detected in the presence of extremely low concentrations of PAF (10 pM) or formyl peptide (0.2 nM) stimulation. Ligation of L-selectin with whole IgG DREG200 or DREG56 Ab, but not controls (anti-CD44, -CD45, -CD11a), resulted in a significant potentiation of bead binding. Cross-linking F(ab')2 fragments of DREG200 with a goat anti-mouse F(ab')2 secondary Ab also stimulated beta 2-integrin-dependent adhesion in a dose-dependent fashion. A chimeric form of DREG200 expressing gamma 4 or gamma 1 isotypes of human Fc domain also stimulated cell adhesion when cross-linked. Surface expression of CD18 and an activation-dependent epitope, as detected with mAb24, also increased in response to L-selectin cross-linking. Cross-linking L-selectin induced significant adhesion and transmigration of neutrophils across human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We propose that cross-linking of L-selectin results in a cell signal that directly stimulates beta 2-integrin adhesive responses.

We have recently reported that neutrophil aggregation is dependent on both L-selectin and the beta 2-integrin Mac-1, raising the possibility that carbohydrate interactions play a role in aggregation. We used mono- and polysaccharides known to inhibit L-selectin-dependent adhesion of lymphocytes to high endothelial venules to test whether these carbohydrates could inhibit neutrophil aggregation. Similar types and concentrations of carbohydrates found by others to inhibit lymphocyte adhesion were effective in blocking neutrophil aggregation. Thus, nanomolar concentrations of the polysaccharides dextran sulfate (m.w. 500,000) and fucoidan inhibited aggregation, whereas dermatan sulfate, alpha-carrageenan, and dextran sulfate (m.w. 5,000) showed no inhibition. All of the phosphorylated monosaccharides tested inhibited aggregation with ED50 values between 8 and 17 mM, the most potent being mannose-6-phosphate and fucose-1-phosphate. The nonphosphorylated monosaccharides glucose and fucose were noninhibitory. The inhibitory effects of fucoidan or dextran sulfate (m.w. 500,000) did not appear to be due to altered regulation of L-selectin after stimulation because fucoidan reduced the rate of L-selectin shedding, whereas dextran sulfate had no effect compared with control. Neither carbohydrate inhibited the binding of formyl peptide to its receptor. However, carbohydrates were able to compete with mAb binding to a number of known leukocyte adhesion proteins. We used endotoxin pretreatment to create L-selectin-deficient neutrophils to study the minimum adhesive requirements for aggregation using two-color fluorescence flow cytometry. Our results implicate a lectinlike contribution to neutrophil aggregation, and suggest that L-selectin is the molecule that mediates the carbohydrate-dependent adhesive event.