Background:The role of HDL in sepsis remains to be clarified. Results: ApoA-I-KO mice are susceptible but apoA-I-tg mice are resistant to CLP-induced sepsis. Lack of HDL leads to less LPS neutralization, less LPS clearance, impaired leukocyte recruitment, and reduced corticosterone generation in sepsis. Conclusion: HDL exerts multiple protective effects in polymicrobe-induced sepsis. Significance: Our study supports efforts to raise HDL levels as a therapeutic approach for sepsis.

Objective Scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) is an HDL receptor. Recent studies revealed that SR-BI protects against sepsis via modulating innate immunity. However, its role in adaptive immunity is unclear. Methods and Results SR-BI null mice exhibited impaired lymphocyte homeostasis as shown by splenomegaly and imbalanced expansion of T and B lymphocytes in the spleens. Importantly, the activated T and B lymphocytes were increased 3–4-fold, indicating a heightened active status of T and B lymphocytes. More importantly, in line with the accumulation of the activated T and B lymphocytes, SR-BI null mice developed systemic autoimmune disorders characterized by the presence of autoantibodies in circulation, the deposition of immune complexes in glomeruli, and the leukocyte infiltration in kidney. Further analyses revealed that SR-BI deficiency enhances lymphocyte proliferation, causes imbalanced IFN-g and IL-4 production in lymphocytes and elevated inflammatory cytokine production in macrophages. Furthermore, HDL from SR-BI null mice exhibited less capability of suppressing lymphocyte proliferation. Conclusions SR-BI regulates lymphocyte homeostasis likely through its roles in modulating the proliferation of lymphocytes, the cytokine production by lymphocytes and macrophages, and the function of HDL. Its deficiency leads to impaired lymphocyte homeostasis and autoimmune disorders. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of SR-BI in adaptive immunity.

Galactokinase (GK; EC 2.7.1.6) is the first enzyme in the metabolism of galactose. In humans, GK deficiency results in congenital cataracts due to an accumulation of galactitol within the lens. In an attempt to make a galactosemic animal model, we cloned the mouse GK gene (Glk1) and disrupted it by gene targeting. As expected, galactose was very poorly metabolized in GK-deficient mice. In addition, both galactose and galactitol accumulated in tissues of GK-deficient mice. Surprisingly, the GK-deficient animals did not form cataracts even when fed a high galactose diet. However, the introduction of a human aldose reductase transgene into a GK-deficient background resulted in cataract formation within the first postnatal day. This mouse represents the first mouse model for congenital galactosemic cataract.