a human pathogen causing respiratory infections that are also associated with serious exacerbations of chronic lung diseases. more recent data have suggested that it may also contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma (7 -12). The lipoprotein constituents of membrane play a critical role in immune recognition by the host and induction of the inflammatory response (13 14 The membrane components are recognized XL647 mainly by Rabbit Polyclonal to FTH1. the Toll-like receptors TLR1 2 TLR2 and TLR6 that initiate downstream signaling events including activation of NF-κB and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (15). Eicosanoids have important regulatory roles in human inflammatory diseases and modulate innate immunity in response to microbial infections (19 32 Eicosanoids are generated in a multistep process that begins with the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipids by the catalytic action of cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) (16 17 AA can XL647 be metabolized by cyclooxygenase (COX) and cell-specific enzymes to generate five primary prostanoids PGD2 PGE2 PGF2a PGI2 and thromboxane A2 (TXA2). AA is also metabolized by 5-lipoxygenase to generate leukotrienes. Prostaglandins exert proinflammatory effects by increasing vascular permeability but also exert immunosuppressive effects (18). Leukotrienes induce increased vascular permeability and recruitment of granulocytes (19 20 Prostanoids can act as either bronchodilators or bronchoconstrictors by XL647 binding to a family of G-protein-coupled prostanoid receptors (21). Previous studies demonstrated that COX-2 expression and PGE2 production were enhanced in asthmatics with sputum eosinophilia (22). TXA2 is known to have a role in the pathogenesis of asthma as a consequence of its potent bronchoconstrictive activity (23) induced through an M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-dependent mechanism (24). Phospholipids are the major components of pulmonary surfactant accounting for 90% of its composition by XL647 weight. The most abundant phospholipid class in pulmonary surfactant is phosphatidylcholine mainly in the form of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and the second most abundant surfactant lipid class is phosphatidylglycerol (PG) with palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylglycerol (POPG) as the dominant molecular species (25). Surfactant lipids maintain the low surface tension required to prevent alveolar collapse during expiration (26). In addition surfactant lipids also prevent inflammatory fibrosis by suppressing migration of macrophages (27). It has been reported that the major surfactant lipid DPPC modulates the inflammatory functions of human monocytic cells (28). PG from inhibited pathogen-associated molecular pattern-induced immune responses in mouse peritoneal macrophages and alveolar macrophages. In addition PG reduced the proinflammatory cytokine production in serum of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injected mice and decreased abscess formation in study from our laboratory demonstrates that POPG has the ability to inhibit the propagation and pro-inflammatory signaling of respiratory syncytial virus in mice (33). There is now growing evidence that identifies PG within pulmonary surfactant as an important regulator of innate immunity and inflammation (30 32 33 The mechanism by which causes asthma exacerbation is not well understood but one plausible pathway is via the production of eicosanoids (prostaglandins and leukotrienes) from host cells. In this study we show that membrane components of and live stimulate the release of eicosanoids from macrophages. We sought to characterize the eicosanoids elicited by via TLR2 receptors and quantify the role of POPG as an antagonist of this process…