EXTRACELLULAR SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ENHANCES NEUTROPHIL RECRUITMENT WHILE DECREASING THEIR FUNCTION

Purpose: Listeria monocytogenes (LM) causes spontaneous abortions in pregnant females and septicemia and meningitis in immunocompromised individuals, and results in ~25% mortality rate in infected individuals. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) converts superoxide into hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular milieu and protects against oxidative stress. The use of mice with varying levels of ecSOD serves as a novel approach to determine how an extracellular enzyme can impact immunity against an intracellular pathogen. Methods: Congenic mice with high ecSOD activity (ecSOD HI), wild type ecSOD activity (ecSOD WT), or lacking ecSOD (ecSOD KO), on the C57Bl/6 background, were infected with LM. Colony forming units (CFUs) were counted to determine bacterial load. Percentages of different cell types, cell-surface markers, and intracellular molecules (including ROS and proteins) were determined by flow cytometry. Neutrophil depletions were performed by i.p. injection of anti-Ly6G or isotype control antibody. Cytokine and chemokine concentrations were measured by ELISA. Results: EcSOD HI mice were more susceptible to LM infection than ecSOD WT and ecSOD KO mice. Interestingly, ecSOD HI mice have higher percentages of neutrophils in the liver compared to ecSOD KO mice, which was at least partially mediated by increased ecSOD-induced neutrophil-attracting chemokine production. Neutrophil depletions were performed, and ecSOD WT and KO livers had increased CFUs, while ecSOD HI mice showed slightly decreased CFUs, compared to isotype-treated mice. Furthermore, TNF-ɑ, which is important for clearance of LM, was highest in ecSOD KO mice. Interestingly, ecSOD activity decreased the ability of neutrophils to undergo oxidative burst, a mechanism to kill LM, and increased the amount of LM inside neutrophils. Lastly, ecSOD activity increased the percentage of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which suppress immune responses. Conclusions: Our data show that ecSOD is detrimental during the early response to LM infection. An increased percentage of neutrophils in ecSOD HI livers, but no concurrent decrease in CFUs, suggests that ecSOD can impair the function of neutrophils. One way this may occur is through the internalization of ecSOD during phagocytosis, which decreases oxidative burst, allowing for LM to survive inside neutrophils. Furthermore, an increase in myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the ecSOD HI livers helps explain why these mice are more susceptible to infection.