Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug that predisposes the host to bacterial infections. Alcoholic patients with severe bacterial infections, particularly septicemia, often present with granulocytopenia which is an indicator of increased mortality. In response to bacterial infection, the bone marrow of normal individuals increases granulocyte production at the expense of other lineage development in order to enhance host defense against invading pathogens. Our recent studies have revealed that the marrow pool of lineage(lin)-c- kit+Sca-1+ cells (LKS cells, an enriched hematopoietic stem cell population) is rapidly expanded during septicemia. This alteration of primitive hematopoietic precursors plays a key role in the granulopoietic response. Expression of Sca-1 by lin-c-kit+Sca-1- cells (primarily myeloid progenitors) is the major mechanism responsible for the rapid expansion of lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cell pool following septicemia. Enhanced proliferation of lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cells also contributes to the increase in the marrow lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cell population. Alcohol intoxication impairs the expansion of the lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cell population during bacterial infection. At the present time, no information is available about the mechanisms by which alcohol injures this initial stage of the granulopoietic response. In this project, we propose to systematically explore the underlying cell signaling mechanisms. Our overall hypothesis is that alcohol suppresses key cell signaling pathways involved in mediating the lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cell response and impairs initial activation of granulocyte production in the bone marrow during septicemia. The three Specific Aims are: 1. To test the hypothesis that alcohol inhibits primitive hematopoietic precursor cell commitment to myeloid lineage development in response to septicemia via impairing the Sca-1/TLR4-PU.1 pathway;2. To test the hypothesis that alcohol inhibits expression of Sca-1 by lin-c-kit+Sca-1- cells in response to septicemia via impairing the TLR4-JNK-AP1 pathway;3. To test the hypothesis that alcohol inhibits activation of lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cell proliferation in response to septicemia via impairing the TLR4-p44/42-cyclin D pathway. Results obtained from this investigation will fill a major gap in our knowledge regarding the impairment of host defense against serious infections at the level of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in alcohol abusers. It will also form a foundation for developing novel therapeutic interventions to treat serious infections in these immunocompromised hosts.

Public Health Relevance

Alcohol abuse predisposes the host to severe bacterial infection which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Many alcoholic patients with severe bacterial infection present with leukopenia, which is frequently fatal. This project investigates the mechanisms underlying this serious health problem and will help to identify therapeutic approaches for effective treatment of alcoholic patients with severe bacterial infection.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA019676-03
Application #
8267738
Study Section
Innate Immunity and Inflammation Study Section (III)
Program Officer
Wang, Joe
Project Start
2010-07-10
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2012-04-01
Budget End
2013-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$346,993
Indirect Cost
$118,708
Name
Michigan State University
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
193247145
City
East Lansing
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48824
Shi, Xin; Wei, Shengcai; Simms, Kevin J et al. (2018) Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Regulates Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cell Activation during the Granulopoietic Response to Systemic Bacterial Infection. Front Immunol 9:349
Shi, Xin; Lin, Yuan-Ping; Gao, Bin et al. (2017) Impairment of Hematopoietic Precursor Cell Activation during the Granulopoietic Response to Bacteremia in Mice with Chronic-Plus-Binge Alcohol Administration. Infect Immun 85:
Shi, Xin; Zhang, Weihong; Yin, Liya et al. (2017) Vascular precursor cells in tissue injury repair. Transl Res 184:77-100
Shi, Xin; Sims, Matthew D; Hanna, Michel M et al. (2014) Neutropenia during HIV infection: adverse consequences and remedies. Int Rev Immunol 33:511-36
Siggins, Robert W; Hossain, Fokhrul; Rehman, Tayyab et al. (2014) Cigarette Smoke Alters the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche. Med Sci (Basel) 2:37-50
Shi, Xin; Chang, Chia-Cheng; Basson, Marc D et al. (2014) Alcohol Disrupts Human Liver Stem/Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Differentiation. J Stem Cell Res Ther 4:
Shi, Xin; Siggins, Robert W; Stanford, William L et al. (2013) Toll-like receptor 4/stem cell antigen 1 signaling promotes hematopoietic precursor cell commitment to granulocyte development during the granulopoietic response to Escherichia coli bacteremia. Infect Immun 81:2197-205
Melvan, John Nicholas; Siggins, Robert W; Stanford, William L et al. (2012) Alcohol impairs the myeloid proliferative response to bacteremia in mice by inhibiting the stem cell antigen-1/ERK pathway. J Immunol 188:1961-9
Chaturvedi, Lakshmi S; Zhang, Ping; Basson, Marc D (2012) Effects of extracellular pressure and alcohol on the microglial response to inflammatory stimulation. Am J Surg 204:602-6
Melvan, John N; Siggins, Robert W; Bagby, Gregory J et al. (2011) Suppression of the stem cell antigen-1 response and granulocyte lineage expansion by alcohol during septicemia. Crit Care Med 39:2121-30

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