The most common form of neutrophil death is apoptosis. In the present study, we report surprising differences in the molecular mechanisms used for caspase activation between FAS/CD95-stimulated and TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1)-stimulated neutrophils. Whereas FAS-induced apoptosis was followed by caspase-8 activation and required Bid to initiate the mitochondrial amplification loop, TNF-␣-induced apoptosis involved class IA PI3Ks, which were activated by MAPK p38. TNF-␣-induced PI3K activation resulted in the generation of reactive oxygen species, which activated caspase-3, a mechanism that did not operate in neutrophils without active NADPH oxidase. We conclude that in neutrophils, proapoptotic pathways after TNFR1 stimulation are initiated by p38 and PI3K, but not by caspase-8, a finding that should be considered in anti-inflammatory drug-development strategies. (Blood. 2011;117(22): 5953-5962)
IntroductionNeutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human blood and are essential in innate immune responses against pathogens. 1 Both in vitro and in vivo, apoptosis is the most common physiologic cause of neutrophil death, preventing the release of histotoxic contents from the dying cell and therefore limiting tissue damage. 2 Moreover, neutrophil apoptosis contributes to the regulation of the duration and intensity of inflammatory responses. 3,4 Activation of neutrophils with members of the TNF cytokine family such as FAS ligand or TNF-␣ can result in apoptosis and might therefore be relevant in controlling inflammation. Whereas apoptosis induction has consistently been reported in neutrophils after stimulation of FAS/CD95, 5 the consequences of TNF-␣ stimulation on the life span of neutrophils is less clear because apoptosis, survival, and no effect have all been described. 5 The diverse outcomes of TNF-␣ stimulation of neutrophils seem to depend on culture conditions, including the concentration of TNF-␣. 6 Whereas exposure to TNF-␣ concentrations below 1 ng/mL results in neutrophil survival, stimulation with concentrations above 10 ng/mL leads to neutrophil apoptosis. 7 Under inflammatory conditions, TNF-␣ concentrations between 1 and 10 ng/mL have been measured in broncho-alveolar fluids of patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome 8 and in the serum and joint fluids of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, 9 suggesting that local tissue concentrations may even exceed these numbers.The proapoptotic signaling cascades induced by FAS ligand and TNF-␣ have been intensively studied in multiple cellular systems. Whereas at least 2 TNF-␣ receptors exist, proapoptotic TNF-␣ signaling is mediated through TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1). 10 Both FAS and TNFR1 proapoptotic signaling results in caspase-8 activation. 11 Active caspase-8 can process its own pro-caspase and effector pro-caspases such as pro-caspase-3. 12 Caspase-8 can also process the BCL-2 family member BID, which is involved in mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization characterized by cytochrome c release and subsequent caspase-9 and caspase-3 a...