Published online before print July 7, 2004
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||


* Institute of Nutritional Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany; and
Immunobiology Unit and
Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom
1Correspondence at current address: The Burnham Institute, Glycobiology and Carbohydrate Chemistry Program, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037. E-mail: Lbode{at}burnham.org
|
|
|---|
Key Words: breast-feeding inflammation platelets neutrophils selectins integrins necrotizing enterocolitis
|
|
|---|
HMO have been shown to have a number of biological properties that could be pertinent to human biology [1 ]. In particular, protein-carbohydrate interactions, such as those mediated by selectins [7 ], are amenable to modulation by HMO.
Selectins belong to a subclass of carbohydrate-binding proteins involved in cell adhesion in the immune system [8
]. The physiological-binding determinant for selectin ligands is the tetrasaccharide sialyl-Lewis x (sLex), which consists of lactosamine [galactose (Gal)ß1-4N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc)], modified with an
2-3-linked N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NeuAc; sialic acid) at the Gal and an
1-3-linked fucose (Fuc) at the GlcNAc [9
10
11
]. Several oligosaccharides, which carry these particular binding determinants [12
], could be detected in human milk, suggesting that these HMO structures might act as soluble selectin-ligand analogs.
Selectins are critical for the formation of platelet-neutrophil complexes (PNC) [13 , 14 ]. These heterogeneous cell aggregates represent a large subpopulation of neutrophils with a greater capacity for phagocytosis and an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [15 ]. In resting blood, up to 25% of the neutrophils are associated with platelets [16 ]. Upon platelet activation, e.g., with histamine, thrombin, or adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), the number of PNC is enhanced significantly [16 ]. The initial step of PNC formation is mediated by P-selectin on activated platelets and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) on neutrophils [14 ]. This interaction induces signaling pathways leading to an increased expression of adhesion molecules, including the ß 2 integrin CD11b/CD18 [17 ], which can be blocked by P-selectin antibodies [15 , 16 ]. The heterodimer CD11b/CD18 tightens platelet-neutrophil binding [18 , 19 ] and might also contribute to leukocyte cross-linking [20 ]. Furthermore, an increased adhesion molecule expression enhances neutrophil transmigration through activated endothelium at sites of inflammation [15 , 20 21 22 ].
In view of the potential of highly activated neutrophils to cause damage in several diseases, the objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of HMO on selectin-mediated PNC formation and PNC-associated neutrophil activation.
|
|
|---|
Oligosaccharide standards
The oligosaccharide standards, sLex[NeuAc
2-3Galß1-4(Fuc
1-3)GlcNAc] and galactotriose (TriGal; Gal
1-3Galß1-4Gal) were obtained from Dextra Laboratories (Reading, UK).
Oligosaccharide analysis
Oligosaccharide analysis was performed by high pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) on a CarboPac PA1 column (Dionex, Sunnyvale, CA) using the same conditions as described previously [23
]. Furthermore, the aHMO and nHMO fractions were analyzed by nano-electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Micromass, Manchester, UK) in positive ion mode [ESI(+)] for nHMO and negative ion mode [ESI()] for aHMO. A Z-spray atmospheric pressure ionization source was used with the source temperature set to 80°C and a desolvation gas (N2) flow rate of 75 L/h. Oligosaccharide preparations were dissolved in 0.2% trifluoroacetic acid/methanol 1:1 (by vol) to a final concentration of roughly 100 pmol/µL and were applied to nanospray capillaries. The capillary tip was set to a potential of 1.1 kV, and the cone voltage was 40 V. Acquisition and analysis of the data were performed with the MassLynx Windows NT PC data system. Sodium iodide was used as mass standard for calibration, and the mass accuracy of all measurements was within 0.1 atomic mass unit.
Endotoxin reduction and measurement
All samples were processed on affinity chromatography columns with immobilized polymixin B to remove endotoxins [lipopolysaccharides (LPS); ref. 24
]. The amount of endotoxins present in the samples was determined by quantitative chromogenic limulus amebocyte lysate test (QCL-1000, BioWhittaker, Walkersville, MD). An endotoxin standard (LPS from Escherichia coli serotype 0111:B4, Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) was used for control experiments.
Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were purchased as follows: CD11b:fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), from Serotec (Oxford, UK); isotype-control antibody anti-mouse immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1):FITC, from Dako (High Wycombe, UK); CD42a:peridinin chlorophyll protein (PerCP) and isotype-control antibody anti-mouse IgG1:PerCP, from Becton Dickinson (Oxford, UK).
Whole blood stimulation
Blood was drawn via a 21G butterfly needle from nonsmoking, healthy volunteers who had not been on any medication for at least 2 weeks. The first 2 ml blood was discarded, and the required volume was collected into sodium citrate to a final concentration of 0.38%. Immediately after sampling, whole blood was stimulated with ADP in a final concentration of 10 µM and coincubated with different oligosaccharides (or phosphate-buffered saline as a control) at different concentrations and at different incubation times.
Measurement of platelet-neutrophil complexes
PNC were analyzed as described previously [16
]. Briefly, 50 µl whole blood was incubated with a combination of directly conjugated mAb for CD42a (PerCP), as a specific platelet marker, and for CD11b (FITC), as a neutrophil activation marker. A combination of corresponding isotype-control antibodies was used to determine nonspecific binding. The samples were left at room temperature for 5 min. Samples were then incubated with 250 µl FACSLyse for 5 min to lyse red blood cells. Finally, 250 µl FACSFix was added.
Flow cytometry was performed on a Becton Dickinson FACSCalibur and CellQuest 3.1 within 1 h of sample preparation. Neutrophils were gated according to their forward and sideward characteristics. Data were collected using FITC fluorescence at 515 nm and PerCP at >650 nm. Results were compared with istotype-matched antibody staining and considered positive if the fluorescence intensity exceeded that of 98% of the control antibodies. Events staining positive for CD42a and CD11b were considered to represent PNC. Each sample was analyzed at the highest flow rate. Data for 5000 events were collected. The median fluorescence intensity (MFI) for CD42a:PerCP and CD11b:FITC was recorded and compared with the respective MFIs measured in ADP-stimulated blood without further treatment using paired, sample t-tests (Microsoft Excel 97). In all cases, P< 0.05 was considered significant.
|
|
|---|
PNC formation: structure dependency
PNC formation in whole blood was significantly induced after incubation with 10 µM ADP (Fig. 1
). To quantify the effects of different oligosaccharides on PNC formation, the percentage of PNC in ADP-stimulated blood without oligosaccharide treatment was defined as 100% (Fig. 2
). When ADP-stimulated blood was coincubated with soluble sLex in a concentration of 125 µg/mL for 15 min, PNC formation was reduced to 85.3 ± 8.8% (P<0.01). TriGal, used as a negative control, had no effect on PNC formation. The coincubation with the aHMO fraction (125 µg/mL) reduced PNC formation to 79.7 ± 7.4% (P<0.001). The same concentration of the nHMO fraction decreased PNC formation slightly to 96.3 ± 4.2% (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of the aHMO fraction was significantly higher than seen with the nHMO fraction (P<0.001; Figs. 1
and 2
). All experiments were performed on blood from 10 different donors.
![]() View larger version (37K): [in a new window] |
Figure 1. Fluorescein-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis of PNC formation. Events stained positive for CD11b and CD42a were considered to be PNCs (upper right quadrants, values indicate % PNC). The black lines represent the 98% thresholds for the respective isotype-control antibodies. PNC formation was analyzed in unstimulated (A) and ADP-stimulated blood (BF) and after the incubation with different oligosaccharides (CF).
|
![]() View larger version (18K): [in a new window] |
Figure 2. PNC formation: structure dependency. The bars represent the effects of different oligosaccharide standards or HMO fractions on PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood indicated as mean and standard deviation. PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood without prior oligosaccharide treatment was defined as 100% (open bar). All samples were used at 125 µg/mL. *, P< 0.05; **, P< 0.01; ***, P< 0.001; the presence of common letters next to the data bars indicates that these groups are not statistically different from each other.
|
PNC formation: concentration dependency
To investigate whether the aHMO fraction inhibited PNC formation in a concentration-dependent manner, the aHMO concentration in the blood was gradually reduced to 6.25 µg/mL. After adding the aHMO fraction in a concentration of 87.5, 50, 25, and 12.5 µg/mL, PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood was reduced to 82.2 ± 7.0% (P<0.001), 86.4 ± 7.1% (P<0.001), 90.2 ± 4.8% (P<0.001), and 92.7 ± 3.7% (P<0.001), respectively. However, at the lowest concentration of 6.25 µg/mL, PNC formation was not affected anymore (Fig. 3
).
![]() View larger version (17K): [in a new window] |
Figure 3. PNC formation: concentration dependency. The bars represent the effects of different aHMO concentrations on PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood, indicated as mean and standard deviation. PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood without prior oligosaccharide treatment was defined as 100% (open bar). ***, P < 0.001; the presence of common letters next to the data bars indicates that these groups are not statistically different from each other.
|
![]() View larger version (33K): [in a new window] |
Figure 4. FACS analysis of CD11b expression on neutrophil. CD11b expression was compared between unstimulated (black line) and ADP-stimulated blood (shaded pattern; A). The addition of the aHMO (B) and nHMO fraction (C) to ADP-stimulated blood was analyzed (black lines) and compared with ADP-stimulated blood without further treatment (shaded pattern).
|
![]() View larger version (19K): [in a new window] |
Figure 5. CD11b expression: structure dependency. The bars represent the effects of different oligosaccharide standards or HMO fractions on CD11b expression in ADP-stimulated blood, indicated as mean and standard deviation. PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood without prior oligosaccharide treatment was defined as 100% (open bar). All samples were used at 125 µg/mL. *, P< 0.05; ***, P< 0.001; the presence of common letters next to the data bars indicates that these groups are not statistically different from each other.
|
![]() View larger version (18K): [in a new window] |
Figure 6. CD11b expression: concentration dependency. The bars represent the effects of different aHMO concentrations on CD11b expression in ADP-stimulated blood, indicated as mean and standard deviation. PNC formation in ADP-stimulated blood without prior oligosaccharide treatment was set as 100% (open bar). **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001; the presence of common letters next to the data bars indicates that these groups are not statistically different from each other.
|
|
|
|---|
As previously reported [15 , 16 ], incubation of whole blood with ADP induces PNC formation and neutrophil activation. The addition of soluble sLex not only reduced PNC formation by 15% but also decreased CD11b expression by 25% (Figs. 2 and 5) . SLex is a known physiological-binding determinant for selectins [10 ], and soluble sLex inhibits selectin-ligand binding [25 ]. We conclude that soluble sLex competes with PSGL-1 for P-selectin binding and, as a consequence, reduces PNC formation. P-selectin binding to PSGL-1 also initiates signaling pathways, which enhance CD11b expression on the surface of neutrophils [17 , 19 , 26 27 28 ]. We assume that the presence of soluble sLex partially prevents P-selectin binding to PSGL-1 and, therefore, reduces the signal that leads to CD11b up-regulation. This finding is in accordance with the results of a previous study showing that CD11b up-regulation is reduced when P-selectin binding to PSGL-1 is blocked by P-selectin antibodies [15 , 16 ].
The inhibitory effects were dependent on oligosaccharide structures that resemble the selectin-binding determinant. Neither PNC formation nor neutrophil activation was affected by TriGal, which is structurally unrelated to any known selectin ligand-binding determinants (Figs. 2 and 5) . It is mandatory for selectin binding that the oligosaccharides, soluble or as part of glycoconjugate ligands, carry a NeuAc residue [9 10 11 , 29 ]. The aHMO fraction, which consists of oligosaccharides with one or more NeuAc residues, reduced PNC formation by 20% and CD11b expression by 30%. Indeed, the aHMO fraction had an even more pronounced effect on PNC formation and neutrophil activation than the physiologic-binding determinant sLex. These differences between the aHMO fraction and sLex can be explained by the occurrence of multivalent binding sites on complex HMO, which supports greater selectin binding than monovalent sLex [30 31 32 ]. The nHMO fraction, which consists of oligosaccharides without NeuAc residues, had only a minor effect on PNC formation, which is consistent with the small amounts of acidic oligosaccharides detected by HPAEC-PAD and nano-ESI-MS. The nHMO fraction had no effect on CD11b expression. The residual LPS contained within the HMO fractions was found to be ineffectual in influencing PNC formation and CD11b/CD18 expression.
All experiments with the HMO fractions were performed at physiologically relevant concentrations. The most explicit evidences that HMO occur in the systemic circulation of breast-fed infants derive from data showing that
1% of the ingested HMO appear in the urine of breast-fed infants but not in the urine of formula-fed infants [5
, 6
]. These data are in accordance with other studies reporting that HMO are only minimally digested [2
, 3
] and that
1% is absorbed [4
]. Although the fate of HMO after absorption and before urinary excretion yet remains a black box, we can conclude that approximately 1% of the daily intake appears in the systemic circulation. Calculations based on these studies [2
3
4
5
] combined with data on the amount of HMO in human milk [1
], the infants daily intake, and the infants blood volume of 80100 mL per kg body weight show that the aHMO concentration in the blood of breast-fed infants can exceed 100 µg/mL. However, all these parameters can vary within a wide range and, thus, can vary the concentration in the blood. However, even with the highest aHMO concentration of 125 µg/mL, neither PNC formation nor neutrophil activation was reduced to baseline levels found in blood without ADP stimulation. These results are concordant with a previous study on leukocyte rolling and adhesion, another cellcell interaction initially mediated by selectins. sLex and the aHMO fraction reduced leukocyte adhesion, whereas TriGal and the nHMO fraction had no influence. The inhibitory effects of the aHMO fraction were concentration-dependent and more pronounced than the effects of soluble sLex. Leukocyte adhesion could not be reduced to baseline levels by applying the aHMO fraction in physiological concentrations (L. Bode et al., manuscript submitted).
The physiological consequences of aHMO in neonates/infants are as yet unclear. A possible role could be in preventing/modulating inflammatory conditions known to affect neonates. In necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an inflammatory disease prevalent in neonatal intensive care (refs. [1 , 33 ] and manuscript submitted by L. Bode et al.), excessive leukocyte infiltration accelerates the progression of NEC [34 ], and it has been proposed that tissue damage may be caused largely by neutrophil-derived ROS. This leads to the breakdown of mucosal integrity and subsequent bacterial translocation [34 , 35 ]. ROS production is significantly higher in neutrophils associated with platelets but can be decreased by blocking P-selectin-mediated PNC formation [15 ]. In the present study, HMO also reduced PNC formation by serving as soluble selectin-ligand analogs. These results suggest that certain HMO might diminish the production of ROS and therefore reduce the deleterious effects of neutrophils in NEC. The inhibitory effects of HMO on leukocyte extravasation, activation, and PNC formation may help to explain why NEC is less common in breast-fed infants [36 , 37 ].
In conclusion, oligosaccharides from human milk may influence multiple levels of leukocyte activity including extravasation, neutrophil activation, and ROS production. The applicability of our in vitro results to neonatal physiology warrants further investigation.
Received March 25, 2004; revised May 17, 2004; accepted June 4, 2004.
|
|
|---|
IIbß3 and stimulated by platelet-activating factor J. Clin. Invest. 100,2085-2093[Medline]This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
G. Boehm and G. Moro Structural and Functional Aspects of Prebiotics Used in Infant Nutrition J. Nutr., September 1, 2008; 138(9): 1818S - 1828S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Arslanoglu, G. E. Moro, J. Schmitt, L. Tandoi, S. Rizzardi, and G. Boehm Early Dietary Intervention with a Mixture of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides Reduces the Incidence of Allergic Manifestations and Infections during the First Two Years of Life J. Nutr., June 1, 2008; 138(6): 1091 - 1095. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Arslanoglu, G. E. Moro, and G. Boehm Early Supplementation of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides Protects Formula-Fed Infants against Infections during the First 6 Months of Life J. Nutr., November 1, 2007; 137(11): 2420 - 2424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G Moro, S Arslanoglu, B Stahl, J Jelinek, U Wahn, and G Boehm A mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of atopic dermatitis during the first six months of age Arch. Dis. Child., October 1, 2006; 91(10): 814 - 819. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Bode Recent Advances on Structure, Metabolism, and Function of Human Milk Oligosaccharides J. Nutr., August 1, 2006; 136(8): 2127 - 2130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Rudloff, S. Obermeier, C. Borsch, G. Pohlentz, R. Hartmann, H. Brosicke, M. J. Lentze, and C. Kunz Incorporation of orally applied 13C-galactose into milk lactose and oligosaccharides Glycobiology, June 1, 2006; 16(6): 477 - 487. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||