Inflammatory recruitment of leukocytes is governed by dynamic interactions between integrins and endothelial immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) proteins. We have identified the IgSF member junctional adhesion molecule 1 (JAM-1) as a ligand of the beta(2) integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). Under static and physiological flow conditions, JAM-1 contributed to LFA-1-dependent transendothelial migration of T cells and neutrophils as well as LFA-1-mediated arrest of T cells. The latter was triggered by chemokines on endothelium that was stimulated with cytokines to redistribute JAM-1 from the tight junctions. Transfectants expressing JAM-1 supported LFA-1-mediated adhesion of leukocytes, which required the membrane-proximal Ig-like domain 2 of JAM-1. Thus, JAM-1 is a counter-receptor for LFA-1 that is ideally situated to guide and control transmigration during leukocyte recruitment.

The deposition of RANTES by platelets triggers shear-resistant monocyte arrest on inflamed or atherosclerotic endothelium. Delivery of RANTES by platelets may epitomize a novel principle relevant to inflammatory or atherogenic monocyte recruitment from the circulation.

The subset of human blood monocytes expressing low levels of CD14 and high levels of CD16 (CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ ) exhibits features resembling mature tissue macrophages and can be expanded in inflammatory conditions. We analyzed expression of CC chemokine receptors (CCR) in CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ versus CD14 ؉؉ monocytes, which may be crucial for specific trafficking. Multicolor flow cytometric analysis of whole peripheral blood revealed that, as opposed to CD14 ؉؉ monocytes, the CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ subset lacked surface expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) receptor CCR2, however, it showed significantly higher surface expression of the macrophage inflammatory protein 1␣ (MIP-1␣)/RANTES receptor CCR5. This was paralleled by differences in mRNA expression in the subsets, as shown by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using sorted cells. In comparison to CD14 ؉؉ monocytes, CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ cells expressed lower CCR2 but higher CCR5 transcript levels, whereas CCR1 levels were equivalent. Flow cytometric analysis of isolated human monocytes recovered after transendothelial chemotaxis assays revealed that the percentage of CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ cells was dramatically reduced in the fraction migrating toward MCP-1 compared with the fraction that did not migrate or the input, showing that polarized CCR2 expression was accompanied by a differential chemotactic responsiveness. Moreover, CD11b surface expression was preferentially up-regulated by MCP-1 in CD14 ؉؉ cells but by MIP-1␣ in CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ monocytes, confirming the functional relevance of distinct CCR expression. The characteristics of CD14 ؉ CD16 ؉ cells may reflect preactivation by cytokines and determine their predilective localization during specific inflammatory conditions or susceptibility to infection. J. Leukoc. Biol. 67: 699-704; 2000.

The reduction of CD11b expression and inhibition of CD11b-dependent monocyte adhesion to endothelium may crucially contribute to the clinical benefit of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in CHD, independent of cholesterol-lowering effects.

Chemokines and their receptors control the emigration of leukocytes during inflammation. The role of the RANTES (regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted) receptors CCR1 and CCR5 in the selective recruitment of monocytes, T(H)1-like T-cell clones, and peripheral T cells enriched for CD45RO(+) "memory" cells were tested in a system in which arrest under flow conditions is triggered by RANTES immobilized to activated endothelium. With the use of selective nonpeptide receptor antagonists or blocking antibodies, it was found that the RANTES-induced arrest of these cells was mediated predominantly by CCR1. In contrast, CCR5 mainly contributed to the spreading in shear flow, and both CCR1 and CCR5 supported transendothelial chemotaxis toward RANTES. The data in this study reveal specialized roles of apparently redundant receptors in distinct steps of leukocyte trafficking and suggest that not all receptors currently used to define mononuclear cell subsets are involved in their direct recruitment from the circulation.

Chemokines are thought to contribute to the cellular infiltrate characteristic of renal transplant rejection. We show that Met-RANTES, a chemokine receptor antagonist, suppresses recruitment of inflammatory cells into renal allografts. In a renal transplant model (Fisher RT1(lvl) rat kidney into Lewis RT1(l) rat) where no additional immune suppressant was used, Met-RANTES-treated animals showed a significant reduction in vascular injury score (16.10 +/- 5.20 vs. 62.67 +/- 18.64) and tubular damage score (15.70 +/- 5.22 vs. 33.00 +/- 6.44) relative to untreated animals. In a more severe rejection model (Brown-Norway RT1(n) rat kidney into Lewis RT1(1) rat), Met-RANTES significantly augmented low-dose cyclosporin A treatment to reduce all aspects of renal injury including interstitial inflammation (score 71.00 +/- 6.10 vs. 157.30 +/- 21.30). The majority of infiltrating cells in these models (60-70%) consisted of monocytes. Potential mechanisms of action of Met-RANTES were tested using monocyte attachment assays on microvascular endothelium under physiological flow conditions. Preexposure of microvascular endothelium to RANTES resulted in RANTES immobilization and RANTES-induced firm adhesion of monocytes only after prestimulation of the endothelium with IL-1beta. Met-RANTES completely inhibited this RANTES-mediated arrest. Thus, Met-RANTES may counter acute rejection by blocking leukocyte firm adhesion to inflamed endothelium.

Intracellular signaling pathways, which regulate the interactions of integrins with their ligands, affect a wide variety of biological functions. Here we provide evidence of how cytohesin-1, an integrin-binding protein and guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for ARF GTPases, regulates cell adhesion. Mutational analyses of the b-2 cytoplasmic domain revealed that the adhesive function of LFA-1 depends on its interaction with cytohesin-1, unless the integrin is activated by exogenous divalent cations. Secondly, cytohesin-1 induces expression of an extracellular activation epitope of LFA-1, and the exchange factor function is not essential for this activity. In contrast, LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion and spreading on intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 is strongly inhibited by a cytohesin-1 mutant, which fails to catalyze ARF GDP±GTP exchange in vitro. Thus, cytohesin-1 is involved in the activation of LFA-1, most probably through direct interaction with the integrin, and induces cell spreading by its ARF-GEF activity. We therefore propose that both direct regulation of the integrin and concomitant changes in the membrane topology of adherent T cells are modulated by dissectable functions of cytohesin-1. Keywords: ARF GTPase/cell adhesion/cytohesin-1/ b-2 integrin/LFA-1

—Apoptosis is important in normal development as well as in diseases such as atherosclerosis. However, the regulation of apoptosis is still not completely understood. We now show that the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) controls the induction of apoptosis in human and rat vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). SMCs in high-density culture exhibited a high NF-κB activity and were insensitive to induction of apoptosis. Inhibition of NF-κB by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of its inhibitor IκBα caused a marked increase in cell death at low but not high cell density. Elevating endogenous IκBα levels by inhibiting its degradation with proteasomal inhibitors resulted in induction of apoptosis in low-density SMCs, as detected by increased binding of annexin V, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased hypodiploid DNA. In high-density cultures, protection against apoptosis was associated with the expression of inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (IAP-1). Transfer of IκBα reduced human IAP-1 mRNA levels, which suggested that IAP-1 is transcriptionally regulated by NF-κB. This was confirmed through identification of a motif with NF-κB–like binding activity in the human IAP-1 promoter region. Moreover, antisense inhibition of IAP-1 sensitized high-density SMCs to the induction of cell death. Together, our data imply that SMCs at high density are protected by an antiapoptotic mechanism that involves increased expression of NF-κB and IAP-1. Interference with pathways that control the susceptibility to programmed cell death may be helpful in the treatment of diseases where dysregulation of apoptosis is involved, eg, atherosclerosis and restenosis.