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Infection and Immunity, September 2000, p. 5225-5233, Vol. 68, No. 9
Laboratoire
d'Anatomie-Pathologique,1 INSERM
364,2 INSERM
452,3 and INSERM
526,4 IFR 50, Faculté de
Médecine, 06107 Nice Cedex 01, France
Received 13 April 2000/Returned for modification 30 May
2000/Accepted 15 June 2000
Helicobacter pylori infection can induce
polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration of the gastric mucosa,
which characterizes acute chronic gastritis. The mechanisms underlying
this process are poorly documented. The lack of an in vitro model has
considerably impaired the study of transepithelial migration of PMNL
induced by H. pylori. In the present work, we used
confluent polarized monolayers of the human intestinal cell line T84
grown on permeable filters to analyze the epithelial PMNL response
induced by broth culture filtrates (BCFs) and bacterial suspensions
from different strains of H. pylori. We have evaluated the
role of the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA and of the cag
pathogenicity island (PAI) of H. pylori in PMNL migration
via their effects on T84 epithelial cells. We noted no difference in
the rates of PMNL transepithelial migration after epithelial
preincubation with bacterial suspensions or with BCFs of VacA-negative
or VacA-positive H. pylori strains. In contrast, PMNL
transepithelial migration was induced after incubation of the T84 cells
with cag PAI-positive and cagE-positive
H. pylori strains. Finally, PMNL migration was correlated
with a basolateral secretion of interleukin-8 by T84 cells, thus
creating a subepithelial chemotactic gradient for PMNL. These data
provide evidence that the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA is not involved in
PMNL transepithelial migration and that the cag PAI, with a
pivotal role for the cagE gene, provokes a transcellular
signal across T84 monolayers, inducing a subepithelial PMNL response.
Helicobacter pylori has
emerged as the causative agent of chronic active gastritis and peptic
ulcer disease (28, 36, 46, 58). The inflammatory response
observed in active gastritis is characterized by polymorphonuclear
leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration into the surface epithelium
(14). Secondary to this infection may be the development of
chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric metaplasia, mucosa-associated
lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma of the stomach (28,
46, 58). PMNL play a major role in the pathogenesis of epithelium
injury since these cells exert a direct cytotoxic effect on the
epithelia by releasing products such as oxidative reagents and elastase
(3). Thus, the persistence of a strong local inflammatory
response may indirectly result in lesions in cells specialized in acid
production and thus may deregulate this production.
Virulence factors of H. pylori are multiple, including
urease synthesis, adhesins, vacuolating toxin VacA, and the
cag pathogenicity island (PAI) (7, 9, 46). Urease
is active at acid pH and hydrolyzes urea generating ammonia, which
protects H. pylori (which is not an acidophilic bacterium)
by producing a neutral microenvironment around bacteria (15,
49). Recently H. pylori adhesins such as the Lewis b
(Leb)-binding adhesin BabA have been identified
(24). Adherence at the apical membrane of the epithelium
protects the bacteria from the acidity of the gastric lumen. This
bacterial Leb-binding phenotype is associated with the
presence of the cag PAI among clinical isolates of H. pylori (24). Strains of H. pylori are
grouped into two broad families, type I and type II, on the basis of
whether or not they express a biologically active VacA and the CagA
(cytotoxin-associated gene A) antigen (4, 29, 56). Patients
exhibiting the most-severe gastroduodenal diseases (i.e., peptic ulcer
and gastric tumors) are most often infected by type I strains, which
suggests that CagA and the coexpressed cytotoxin VacA play a critical
role in the pathogenicity induced by H. pylori (2, 5,
17).
The C-X-C chemokine family, which includes the PMNL chemoattractant
interleukin-8 (IL-8) (48), is a critical factor in the immunopathogenesis of gastritis. High levels of gastric IL-8 are found
in patients infected by type I strains of H. pylori
(11). Initial studies have shown that inactivation of the
genes in the cag PAI reduced IL-8 secretion in epithelial
cells (11). Moreover, mutational tests showed that
cagA was not needed for induction of IL-8 secretion
(11). It was observed earlier that loss of function of the
picA gene and the picB/cagE gene close to the right end of the cag PAI abrogates the induction of IL-8
production in gastric epithelial cells (51). Moreover, a
recent study has demonstrated that VacA increased the permeability of
the epithelium barrier, probably by acting at the tight-junction level
(40). In this way, VacA might induce a weakness in
transepithelial resistances (TER) and consequently potentialize PMNL
migration into the lumen of the stomach.
H. pylori-induced production of IL-8 by epithelial cells has
been previously studied by using established gastric epithelial cell
cultures (10, 12, 47). However the mechanisms by which H. pylori induced PMNL transepithelial migration have not
been previously described. Assays of PMNL migration across the
epithelia can only be performed with highly polarized monolayers (i.e., those that develop high TER). In this study we have used human intestinal epithelial cell line T84 to assess PMNL-intestinal epithelial cell interactions as previously reported (21, 30, 41). In the present work, we have examined, using different bacterial strains and broth culture filtrates (BCFs) of H. pylori, how H. pylori-T84 epithelial cell interactions
modulate PMNL transepithelial migration. More particularly, we have
analyzed (i) whether the cytotoxin VacA modifies the rate of PMNL
migration across the epithelium by acting at the tight-junction level
and/or by remodeling the epithelial actin cytoskeleton; (ii) whether
H. pylori strains which do or do not express the
cag PAI, and more specifically cagA or
picB/cagE genes, may induce a transepithelial migration of
PMNL across T84 monolayers; and (iii) whether a basolateral secretion
of IL-8 occurs as a result of the H. pylori-T84 cell interaction and how such an IL-8 secretion contributes to
transepithelial migration.
We found that the cytotoxin VacA is not involved in H. pylori-induced PMNL migration across a tight epithelial barrier.
Our results also demonstrate that the cag PAI is essential
for inducing a basolateral secretion of IL-8 which consecutively
contributes to the creation of a PMNL chemotactic gradient on the
underlying matrix. Among the genes of the cag PAI, a key
role is played by the picB/cagE gene, whereas the
cagA gene seems to be irrelevant.
Bacterial strains.
The different strains of H. pylori used in this study and their phenotypes are summarized in
Table 1. We have used the
urease+ VacA+ cag+
wild-type H. pylori 60190 strain (ATCC 49503), its isogenic
mutants in which vacA (60190:v1) or cagA
(60190:M22) or picB/cagE (60190:C
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori on
Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Migration across Polarized T84 Epithelial
Cell Monolayers: Role of Vacuolating Toxin VacA and cag
Pathogenicity Island
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ABSTRACT
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
![]()
INTRODUCTION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
![]()
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
) genes were
disrupted by insertional mutagenesis (8, 20, 54, 55), and
its urease-negative spontaneous mutant (60190:4) (42) (all
these strains have been kindly given by T. L. Cover and M. J. Blaser, Nashville, Tenn.). In addition, we used the wild-type CCUG
17874 (urease+ VacA+
cag+) H. pylori strain (from the
culture collection of the University of Goteborg, Goteborg, Sweden) and
the wild-type G21 (urease+ VacA
cag mutant) H. pylori strain (kindly given by N. Figura, Siena, Italy) (20, 56).
TABLE 1.
Different strains of H. pylori and their
phenotypes used in the present study
Preparation of BCFs and bacterial suspensions. BCFs were prepared as previously described (44-46). Briefly, bacteria were grown in brucella broth (Difco, Detroit, Mich.) supplemented with 1% Vitox (Oxoid, Basingstoke, United Kingdom) and 5% fetal calf serum (Gibco BRL, Paisley, United Kingdom) for 24 to 36 h at 37°C in a thermostatic shaker under microaerophilic conditions. When the bacterial suspensions reached 1.2 units of optical density at 450 nm (corresponding to a bacterial concentration of 5 × 108 CFU/ml), bacteria were removed by centrifugation, and the supernatants were sterilized by passage through a 0.22-µm-pore-size cellulose acetate filter to obtain BCFs. BCFs were used at a dilution of 1:3. The vacuolating power of VacA+ BCFs prepared as described above and diluted 1:3 is equivalent to that exhibited by a final concentration of 0.4 µg of purified VacA/ml (V. Ricci, personal observation).
For the experiments with bacterial suspensions, bacteria were grown on Columbia agar supplemented with 1% Vitox and 10% sheep blood (Oxoid); immediately before the start of the experiments, bacteria were suspended (final concentration: 5 × 108 CFU/ml) in the culture medium used for T84 cells.Cell culture and electrophysiological studies. T84 cells (American Type Culture Collection; passages 65 to 90), a human colonic carcinoma cell line, were grown and maintained as confluent monolayers on collagen-coated permeable supports with detailed modifications (30). Monolayers were grown on 0.33-cm2 ring-supported polycarbonate filters (Costar, Cambridge, Mass.) and were utilized 6 to 14 days after being plated. Confluent monolayers on permeable supports were constructed to permit a basolateral-to-apical migration of PMNL ("inverted inserts") as previously described (22, 30). The cells were then incubated with the BCF from the VacA+ 60190 strain in both the upper and lower reservoirs. To assess currents, transepithelial potentials, and TER, a commercial voltage clamp (Bioengineering Department, University of Iowa) was used as previously described (22, 30). Resistances were monitored during the period of incubation with the BCF from the VacA+ 60190 strain or with the different H. pylori strains used in this study.
Morphological studies. (i) Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies. After intoxication with the BCF from the VacA+ 60190 strain, T84 cells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-0.4% bovine serum albumin and further incubated with 2 mM acridine orange in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) for 10 min at room temperature. After several washes with HBSS, the cells were immediately observed and photographed with a laser scanning fluorescence microscope (Leica, DMIRBE, Lyon, France) equipped for epifluorescence.
Fluorescence staining of control and VacA-treated T84 cells grown on permeable filters was performed. Cells were rinsed extensively in HBSS and fixed with 3.7% paraformaldehyde (in PBS; pH 7.4) for 15 min at room temperature and rinsed three times for 5 min each in buffer containing 0.2% gelatin and 0.2% Triton X-100. Cells were then incubated for 30 min in the dark with 500 nM rhodamine-phalloidin diluted in PBS (Sigma). The cells were washed in HBSS, mounted on glass slides in a phenylenediamine-glycerol-PBS medium, and then observed.(ii) Electron microscopy study. Inverted T84 monolayers were rinsed extensively in HBSS. Approximately 5 × 107 CFU of the different strains of H. pylori used in this study in 100 µl were gently distributed onto the apical surface and incubated for 4 h at 37°C and pH 7.4. Nonadherent bacteria were removed from the monolayers by extensive washing, and the cells were transferred back into the 24-well tissue culture tray containing HBSS. After removal from the inserts, the T84 monolayers were fixed with 2% freshly prepared paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M sodium cacodylate, pH 7.4, for 1 h at 4°C. Monolayers were rinsed in cacodylate buffer, postfixed in 1% OsO4 for 1 h, dehydrated through graded alcohols, and embedded in epoxy resin. Oriented 1-mm sections were obtained with diamond knives, and multiple areas were thin sectioned. Ultrathin sections were examined on a Jeol 1200 EXII electron microscope. The numbers of adherent bacteria per 50 epithelial cells were determined for random sections.
PMNL transmigration assays. Human PMNL were isolated from whole blood using a gelatin sedimentation technique as previously described (22).
The physiologically (basolaterally to apically) directed PMNL transepithelial migration assay has been previously described (21). PMNL transmigration experiments were performed at 37°C on 0.33-cm2 inverts. T84 monolayers were washed three times in warm HBSS, and approximately 5 × 107 CFU of the different strains of H. pylori used in this study in 100 µl were gently distributed onto the apical surface and incubated for 4 h at 37°C. Nonadherent bacteria were removed from the monolayers by extensive washing and were then transferred back into the 24-well tissue culture tray containing 1.0 ml of HBSS in each lower reservoir (apical membrane now colonized with H. pylori) and 100 µl in the upper reservoir (basolateral interface). We added 106 PMNL to the inverts. To assess if VacA, by itself, may modify the rate of PMNL transepithelial migration, a set of PMNL transmigration assays was performed in the presence or in the absence of N-formyl-L-methionyl-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (f-MLP; 10
7 M) after T84 cell incubation for 24 h
with VacA+ BCF (60190 or CCUG 17874) or VacA
BCF (60190:v1). Control transmigration of PMNL was initiated by adding
f-MLP (10
7 M) to the lower reservoir and incubating it
for 15 min to allow a transepithelial chemotactic gradient to form
prior to the addition of PMNL.
In order to verify that a chemotactic gradient imprinted the
subepithelial matrix, an H. pylori T84 epithelial
cell-conditioned matrix was prepared by the method previously described
(32). Briefly, T84 cell monolayers apically colonized with
H. pylori were transferred to fresh 24-well plates
containing a solution of 5 × 10
4 M EGTA (Sigma) in
Ca2+- and Mg2+-free HBSS with 10 mM HEPES, pH
7.4, at 37°C. T84 cell monolayers were stripped from the
collagen-coated polycarbonate filters by bathing the filters in
Ca2+- and Mg2+-free EGTA-HBSS for 3 h at
37°C with gentle agitation. Then, the inverts were washed in HBSS and
transferred back into the original 24-well tissue culture trays
containing 1.0 ml of HBSS buffer in the lower reservoir (apical
interface) and 100 µl in the upper reservoir (basolateral interface).
Control matrices consisted of those laid down by T84 cell monolayers
that had not been colonized with H. pylori. In some
experiments neutralizing polyclonal antibodies against human IL-8
(Endogen, Inc., Boston, Mass.) at 60 µg/ml were exposed to the filter
matrix after EGTA treatment for 45 min before the addition of PMNL.
Transmigration of PMNL was assayed by quantification of the azurophil
granule marker myeloperoxidase (MPO) as described previously (23).
IL-8 assay. In order to characterize the IL-8 secretion in the matrices and the lower reservoirs, experiments were performed with the conditioned matrix prepared as described above. The matrices and the lower reservoirs were assayed in triplicate for IL-8 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA was carried out using a mouse monoclonal antibody to IL-8 and a phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-IL-8 polyclonal antibody (Sandoz Pharmaceutical, Rueil-Malmaison, France).
Data analysis. Resistance time courses were compared by two-factor analysis of variance. MPO assays were compared by Student's t test. Values are expressed as the means ± standard errors of the means (SEM) of a number of experiments.
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RESULTS |
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Incubation of confluent T84 monolayers with VacA does not modify
the epithelial actin cytoskeleton and epithelial permeability.
We
first verified that the T84 cell line was sensitive to the vacuolating
effect of VacA. T84 cells treated with VacA+ BCF 24 h
after plating on filters showed, after acridine orange incorporation,
large intracellular vacuoles in the cytosol, predominantly in
perinuclear spaces (not shown). Moreover these vacuoles showed an
intense staining using polyclonal anti-rab7 and anti-VacA antibodies (not shown). No vacuoles and staining were noted at cell confluency. In
order to analyze the consequences of VacA intoxication for the
epithelial actin cytoskeleton network, fluorescein
isothiocyanate-phalloidin labeling was performed at different times
following cell plating on filters. One week after plating, we failed to
detect any modification of the F-actin network in T84 cells treated
with VacA+ BCF by comparison with control cells (not
shown). We concluded that VacA intoxication of confluent monolayers did
not affect F-actin distribution in treated and control cells (Fig.
1). The perijunctional ring of actin at
the tight-junction level (Fig. 1A and B) and prominent stress fibers
observed in the basolateral compartment (Fig. 1C and D) in VacA-treated
cells were similar to those in control cells.
|
· cm2 was found
in VacA-treated T84 cells versus 1,350 ± 120
· cm2 in untreated T84 monolayers after 24 h.
Incubation of T84 monolayers with VacA does not alter the rate of
PMNL transmigration.
Attachment of 60190:v1 (VacA
cag+), 60190 (VacA+
cag+), and CCUG 17874 (VacA+
cag+) H. pylori strains to the apical
membranes of T84 cells similarly induced, after incubation for 4 h, the basolateral-to-apical migration of PMNL ([14.6 ± 2.9] × 104, [15.1 ± 3] × 104, and [13.5 ± 3.1] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per monolayer for
60190:v1, 60190, and CCUG 17874 strains, respectively) (Fig.
2). Incubation of the T84 cell monolayers
for 24 h with the VacA+ BCFs (CCUG 17874 or 60190) and
the VacA
BCF (60190:v1) did not significantly modify the
transepithelial migration of PMNL in comparison to a migration obtained
in control cells ([4 ± 1.8] × 104, [3.5 ± 1] × 104, [2.9 ± 1.5] × 104, and
[2.6 ± 1.2] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per
monolayer for CCUG 17874, 60190, and 60190:v1 strains and control
cells, respectively) (Fig. 2). In the latter conditions no significant
differences were noted, with or without incubation with BCFs, in the
transepithelial migration of PMNL induced by f-MLP (10
7
M) ([15.2 ± 4] × 104, [14.8 ± 2] × 104, [13.1 ± 2.2] × 104, and
[17.2 ± 1.3] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per
monolayer for CCUG 17874, 60190, and 60190:v1 strains and control T84
cells, respectively) (Fig. 2).
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Wild-type 60190, 60190:M22, and 60190:C
, but not G21,
H. pylori strains adhered to the apical membrane of the T84
epithelial cells.
The 60190 (VacA+
cag+) H. pylori strain added to the
apical side of confluent T84 monolayers became intimately associated
with the brush border. More specifically, adherence pedestals were observed (Fig. 3A). In some preparations
the bacterial membrane was closely apposed to the epithelial cell
membrane and the brush border architecture disappeared at the contact
site (Fig. 3B). Some bacteria were observed in deep invaginations.
Exceptionally, engulfment features were observed, and these resulted in
the formation of intracellular vacuoles containing bacteria (Fig. 3C).
However internalization of H. pylori remained very rare.
Similarly, 60190:M22 (VacA+ CagA
) (Fig. 3D)
and 60190:C
(VacA+ cagE) (Fig. 3E)
H. pylori strains showed features of adherence with the
epithelial cell membrane. In contrast the G21 (VacA
cag mutant) strain was not adherent or was loosely adherent
to the brush border. No pedestal formation or brush border alteration at the contact site was observed (Fig. 3F). By counting the bacteria adherent to the T84 monolayers (i.e., the number of adherent bacteria observed per 50 epithelial cells), we confirmed that only wild-type 60190, 60190:M22, and 60190:C
, not G21, H. pylori strains were adherent to the epithelial cells (221 ± 18, 191 ± 23, 189 ± 16, and 23 ± 9 adherent bacteria
per 50 epithelial cells for wild-type 60190, 60190:M22,
60190:C
, and G21 H. pylori strains,
respectively; P < 0.01). In all conditions, T84 cells
did not show any nuclear or cytoplasmic apoptotic features such as
nuclear condensation or fragmentation and intracytoplasmic vacuoles.
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The cag PAI and more particularly the
picB/cagE gene of H. pylori is essential for
inducing a transepithelial migration of PMNL across T84
monolayers.
Since an important infiltration of PMNL seems to occur
in vivo in response to cag+ strain H. pylori infection, we investigated whether this phenomenon could be
modeled in vitro. Before starting the transmigration assays, we
verified that the TER of T84 cells incubated for 4 h with the
different H. pylori strains used in this study was not
affected (not shown). As shown in Fig. 4,
attachment of the 60190 (VacA+ cag+)
H. pylori strain to the apical membrane of T84 cells induced a basolateral-to-apical migration of PMNL. PMNL transmigration induced
by the 60190 H. pylori strain was 62% of that which
occurred in response to f-MLP ([18.2 ± 1.3] × 104
and [12.3 ± 2.1] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per
monolayer for f-MLP and strain 60190, respectively). To determine
whether the number of PMNL that transmigrate a monolayer is dependent
on the cag PAI or on cagA and/or cagE genes, transmigration assays were performed with T84 monolayers incubated with bacterial suspensions from G21 (VacA
cag mutant), 60190:M22 (VacA+ cagA),
and 60190:C
(VacA+ cagE) strains.
As shown in Fig. 4, G21 and 60190:C
strains failed to
induce transmigration of PMNL across the T84 monolayer, whereas the
60190:M22 strain induced a transmigration of PMNL similar to that
obtained with the 60190 strain ([2.5 ± 1.4] × 104,
[2.3 ± 1.1] × 104, and [11.2 ± 1.4] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per monolayer for G21,
60190:C
, and 60190:M22 strains, respectively;
P < 0.01). Finally, no significant difference in the
numbers of transmigrated PMNL between the wild-type 60190 strain and
its urease-negative mutant was observed ([12.3 ± 2.1] × 104 versus [11.2 ± 1.4] × 104 PMNL
cell equivalents per monolayer, respectively) (Fig. 4).
|
Colonization of the T84 apical membrane with
cag+ H. pylori strains imprints a
directional chemotactic signal on the underlying matrix.
In
contrast to control matrices, matrices isolated from T84 monolayers
apically colonized with the 60190 (VacA+
cag+) H. pylori strain were imprinted
by signals which supported spontaneous PMNL migration responses
([21.4 ± 3.8] × 104 and [5.2 ± 2.1] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per monolayer for strain 60190 and the control, respectively; P < 0.01) (Fig.
5). Similarly, PMNL migration induced by
the 60190:M22 (VacA+ CagA
) H. pylori strain was 79% as effective as that which occurred in
response to f-MLP ([18.8 ± 5.2] × 104 and
[26.5 ± 2.1] × 104 PMNL cell equivalents per
monolayer for the 60190:M22 strain and f-MLP, respectively) (Fig. 5).
In contrast, the number of PMNL crossing the matrices was decreased to
the basal level in matrices conditioned by the G21 (VacA
cag mutant) and 60190:C
(VacA+
cagE) H. pylori strains ([6.1 ± 2] × 104 and [5.2 ± 3.4] × 104 PMNL cell
equivalents per monolayer for G21 and 60190:C
,
respectively) (Fig. 5). Finally, no significant difference in the
numbers of PMNL that migrated across the matrices between wild-type
strain 60190 and its urease-negative mutant was observed ([21.4 ± 3.8] × 104 and [23.2 ± 5] × 104
PMNL cell equivalents per monolayer for wild-type strain 60190 and the
60190 urease-negative mutant, respectively) (Fig. 5).
|
IL-8 is the chemotactic factor basolaterally secreted by the T84
cells which induces migration across the matrix.
We next showed
that the 60190 (VacA+ cag+),
60190:v1 (VacA
cag+), 60190:4
(VacA+ cag+ urease
),
CCUG 17874 (VacA+ cag+), and
60190:M22 (VacA+ CagA
) H. pylori
strains induced T84 cell-polarized monolayers to secrete significantly
more IL-8 than was secreted by control T84 cells (4.67 ± 1, 4.5 ± 1.2, 4.7 ± 1.5, 4.1 ± 1, 4.21 ± 1.3, and
0.10 ± 0.11 ng/ml secreted into the basolateral compartment for
strains 60190, 60190:v1, 60190:4, CCUG 17874, and 60190:M22 strain and control T84 cells, respectively; P < 0.01) (Table
2). In contrast, IL-8 production by T84
cells incubated with the G21 (VacA
cag mutant)
and 60190:C
(VacA+ cagE) H. pylori strains was greatly reduced (0.5 ± 0.2 and 0.3 ± 0.1 ng/ml secreted into the basolateral compartment for the G21 and
60190:C
strains, respectively) (Table 2). We confirmed
that the spontaneous chemotaxis of PMNL across imprinted matrices
induced by strain 60190 of H. pylori was directed by IL-8 by
using neutralizing polyclonal antibodies to IL-8. As shown in Fig.
6, neutralizing antibodies to IL-8
effectively reduced PMNL transmatrix migration across H. pylori-conditioned matrices ([19.45 ± 4] × 104 versus [4.81 ± 3.7] × 104 cell
equivalents for the H. pylori 60190-conditioned T84 cell matrix in the presence and the absence of 60 µg of neutralizing polyclonal IL-8 antibodies/ml; P < 0.01). The IL-8
antibody had no effect on PMNL migration across control matrices driven
by f-MLP (10
7 M). By contrast, the IL-8 antibody ablated
PMNL migration across control matrices driven by exogenous IL-8 (100 ng/ml; Genentech) gradients (Fig. 6).
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DISCUSSION |
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Our data present evidence that T84 monolayers grown on permeable filters represent a model of a polarized epithelium in which transepithelial migration of PMNL induced by H. pylori infection can be studied experimentally. To our knowledge, this is the first model allowing the migration of PMNL across an epithelium after apical colonization by H. pylori. The T84 cell line has previously been used extensively to study the transepithelial migration of PMNL and to analyze the modifications of TER under different conditions (21, 22, 41). We have selected this model because human gastric epithelial cell lines available and primary cultures of human gastric epithelial cells organize leaky epithelial monolayers or do not form confluent monolayers, conditions which are not well suited for the study of PMNL transepithelial migration. Previous work has used rabbit gastric epithelial cells to study PMNL migration (18). All these models fail to develop high TER.
To validate our model, we first verified that T84 cells were sensitive to VacA. VacA produced by H. pylori induces large vacuoles in the T84 epithelial cell line. Vacuolated cells were only observed in nonconfluent monolayers. Similarly, other epithelial cell lines, such as AGS, HeLa, MDCK, and MKN 28, demonstrate cell vacuolation after VacA intoxication only when they are cultivated at subconfluence (13, 40, 43). Previous studies have shown that the vacuoles in HeLa cells caused by VacA are enriched in rab7, a small GTP-binding protein typically associated with late endosomes, and that overexpression of a rab7 dominant-negative mutant prevents vacuolation caused by VacA (35, 39). We verified that the vacuoles induced by VacA in T84 cells originated from the late endosomal compartment since these vacuoles were stained by anti-rab7 antibodies. In our system, T84 cell vacuolation induced by VacA intoxication was not observed after incubation of both apical and basolateral sides of confluent T84 cell monolayers grown on permeable filters.
In our experiments the BCF from the VacA+ 60190 strain of H. pylori did not decrease the TER of T84 monolayers. Matysiak-Budnik et al. have shown similar integrity of the TER using HT29-19A intestinal cells (31). In contrast, another study has shown an increase in the permeability of polarized T84 cell monolayers due to VacA (40). These discrepancies with our results might be explained by the higher resistances achieved in the study by Papini et al. (40). In the present work we provide evidence that VacA does not influence the transepithelial migration of PMNL, since the rate of cell migration was induced to the same extent after incubation of T84 cells with BCFs or bacterial suspensions from both VacA-producing and non-VacA-producing strains. These data confirmed indirectly that the tight junctions are not altered by the VacA toxin. A recent study has shown that VacA inhibited actin stress fiber formation in RGM1 cells derived from gastric mucosa of the rat (38). This effect was especially marked after 48 h of incubation of RGM1 cells with VacA (38). In our work we did not observe alterations of the F-actin network at the perijunctional and at the basolateral cytoplasmic compartment levels after VacA intoxication of the monolayers. These divergent results may be explained by the different cell lines used and by the fact that T84 cells were grown on filters and not on coverslips. Moreover the incubation of T84 cells with VacA was only for up to 24 h.
Several works have shown that H. pylori infection is
associated with an increase in the level of production of the C-X-C
chemokine IL-8 in gastric epithelial cell lines (47, 52).
Several pieces of evidence have demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo
that increased IL-8 production is associated with the presence of type
I strains of H. pylori. In particular
cag+ H. pylori strains are able to
induce IL-8 synthesis and secretion in the AGS epithelial cell line
(47). Previous works have demonstrated the ability of
cag+ H. pylori strains to activate
the transcription factor NF-
B (27, 51). This activation
was correlated with the ability to induce IL-8 transcription (27,
51). IL-8 transcription is also dependent on tyrosine kinase
activation (50, 53). IL-8 is a chemokine factor which
induces PMNL chemotaxis and activation (48). In parallel, it
has been shown that H. pylori infection in vivo is
associated with increased gastric mucosal levels of IL-8
(57). These increased levels are correlated with infection with specific H. pylori strains that possess the
cag PAI (51). Moreover
cag+ H. pylori-associated gastritis
is characterized by a dense infiltration of PMNL in the mucosa
(57). Using the T84 model, we have shown in vitro that the
cag+ H. pylori strains, and more
particularly those that possess the picB/cagE gene, can
trigger a PMNL transepithelial migration which is correlated with an
epithelial basolateral secretion of IL-8. As changes in the TER modify
the rate of PMNL transmigration, we have verified that H. pylori infection did not alter these resistances. Terres et al.
have shown that sonicates of H. pylori or whole bacteria can
induce a significant decrease of TER in T84 monolayers (53).
One possible explanation for this discrepancy might be that the number
of bacteria and the area of the filters used in that study were
different from those used in our work. In the present work, we have
observed a paracellular location of the bacteria and a TER decrease
when a high concentration of H. pylori was incubated at the
apical side of the T84 monolayers (not shown).
Our ultrastructural study confirmed that H. pylori is
internalized only exceptionally in the epithelial cells and is a
noninvasive bacterium (25, 37). We have observed these
features in very few cells. Previous ultrastructural studies have
demonstrated that H. pylori can exceptionally penetrate into
human gastric cells without causing any detectable damage to the cell
membrane (16, 26). Attachment of cag+
H. pylori to cultured T84 cells induced transmigration of
PMNL. However, we present here evidence that intimate attachment of H. pylori is not sufficient to induce this migration since
the adherent 60190:C
strain failed to induce PMNL
transepithelial migration. Although it has been previously demonstrated
that H. pylori adhesion to T84 cells is increased at acidic
pH (6), we used a neutral pH for incubating the bacteria to
preserve the epithelial cell metabolism and the TER values.
The cag PAI is a 40-kb DNA segment of H. pylori containing at least 31 genes (5, 7). In the cag PAI, cagA (which encodes an immunodominant protein), picA, and picB/cagE genes have been extensively studied (1). Our in vitro study confirmed that the cagE gene, but not the cagA gene, is essential to induce both IL-8 secretion by T84 cells and PMNL transepithelial migration. In parallel, we have demonstrated that IL-8 secretion in H. pylori-infected T84 cells is basolaterally directed, leading to the formation of a chemokine gradient in the underlying matrix. It has been previously shown that noninvasive mutants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (phoPc, hilA, and invA mutants), which harbor critical invasion deficiencies, do not induce PMNL transmigration (33). Moreover, a recent study has demonstrated that S. enterica serovar Typhimurium invasion is not sufficient to induce IL-8 secretion and to promote PMNL transmigration, suggesting that some specific interactions between the apical surface of the T84 cells and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium are required to allow a transepithelial signaling pathway (19). Here, we show that the noninvasive bacterium H. pylori is able to induce IL-8 secretion in the basolateral side for PMNL activation. Further work is needed to determine whether or not the ultimate step of the PMNL migration across the epithelial barrier is directed by the apical epithelial release of a soluble factor, as is observed for infection of the T84 cells by S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (34).
In conclusion, using an in vitro model, we have shown that the transepithelial migration induced by H. pylori-infected T84 cells is not related to the production of VacA cytotoxin. This PMNL migration is essentially dependent on cagE expression in the cag PAI of H. pylori. However, the possibility that the same effect might be achieved by some other genes in the cag PAI cannot be ruled out. Finally, the cag PAI, and more particularly cagE, induces an IL-8 gradient at the basolateral side, allowing migration of PMNL through the epithelial barrier.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
|---|
We acknowledge Mireille Mari, Dominique Sadoulet, Anne Doye, Aurore Grima, Christine Ordonnez, and Bernard Ferrua for their excellent technical assistance.
These studies were supported by the Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale (to V. Hofman). V. Ricci was a visiting scientist (Poste Vert INSERM) from the University of Pavia Medical School, Pavia, Italy.
| |
FOOTNOTES |
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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: INSERM 364, Faculté de Médecine, Ave. de Valombrose, 06107 Nice Cedex 01, France. Phone: 33 4 93 37 77 07. Fax: 33 4 93 81 94 56. E-mail: hofman{at}unice.fr.
Editor: D. L. Burns
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