The destructive pulmonary inflammation associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization is caused, in part, by the production of the chemokine IL-8, which recruits neutrophils into the lung. The Pseudomonas autoinducer, N-3-oxododecanoyl homoserine lactone (3-O-C12-HSL), is a small lipid-soluble molecule that is essential in the regulation of many P. aeruginosa virulence factors, but little is known about how it affects eukaryotic cells. In this report we demonstrate that 3-O-C12-HSL is a potent stimulator of both IL-8 mRNA and protein from human fibroblasts and epithelial cells in vitro. The IL-8 produced from these 3-O-C12-HSL-stimulated cells was found to be functionally active by inducing the chemotaxis of neutrophils. To determine a mechanism for this IL-8 induction, deletion constructs of the IL-8 promoter were examined. It was found that the DNA region between nucleotides −1481 and −546 and the transcription factor NF-κB were essential for the maximal induction of IL-8 by 3-O-C12-HSL. This was confirmed by EMSAs, where 3-O-C12-HSL induced a shift with both AP-2 and NF-κB consensus DNA. The activation of NF-κB and subsequent production of IL-8 were found to be regulated by a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These findings support the concept that the severe lung damage that accompanies P. aeruginosa infections is caused by an exuberant neutrophil response stimulated by 3-O-C12-HSL-induced IL-8. Understanding the mechanisms of 3-O-C12-HSL activation of lung structural cells may provide a means to help control lung damage during infections with P. aeruginosa.

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L-Selectin is a leukocyte cell adhesion receptor that contributes to neutrophil (PMN) rolling on activated endothelium at sites of idammation and mediates lymphocyte attachment to high endothelial venules in peripheral lymph nodes. Localization of this receptor to the tips of PMN and lymphocyte microvilli has been demonstrated. However, its distribution on these cells has not been quantified, and its localization on other leukocytes and the morphometry of microvilli on different leukocyte subpopulations have not been previously examined. In this study, PMN and mononuclear leukocytes were isolated from anticoagulated blood by dextran sedimentation and density centrifugation, fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde and 0.05% glutaraldehyde, immunogold-labeled for L-selectin, and embedded in Epon resin. The distribution of L-selectin was determined by counting gold particles on the plasma membrane of sectioned cells, and the surface microstructure of these cells was surveyed on two-dimensional transmission electron micrographs. On average, 78% of PMN, 72% of monocyte, and 71% of lymphocyte L-selectin was observed on the microvilli, with more Variance on lymphocytes than the other cell types. Typical PMN and monocyte sections had 26 microvilli, whereas typical lymphocyte sections had 23. Quantitation of the distribution of L-selectin and leukocyte surface topology offers a foundation from which to study the requirement of microvilli or microvillus-localized L-selectin for leukocyte tethering and rolling in model systems that mimic microvas-

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