|
|
||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CAUSED BY INFECTION OF CULTURED HUMAN MONOCYTES WITH DENGUE VIRUS
| ABSTRACT |
|
|
|---|
) are the major target cells for DEN virus. To determine the effects of the interaction between DEN virus and Mo/M
, human monocyte cultures were infected with DEN virus type 2. Apoptosis and production of tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-
) and nitric oxide were measured in control and infected cultures. Virus was taken up by phagocytosis, but no membrane-coated pits at the virus attachment sites were observed. Increased number of apoptotic cells and increased production of TNF-
were observed in infected monocyte cultures. No increase in production of nitric oxide was observed. These results may be related to early primary viral infection, in which virus could induce apoptosis in monocytes, but monocytes may contribute to host defense mechanisms against virus by viral phagocytosis, phagocytosis of infected apoptotic cells, and the release of proinflammatory cytokines. | INTRODUCTION |
|
|
|---|
) are the major target cells of dengue (DEN) virus. These cells are responsible for the dissemination of the virus after its initial entry via the mosquito vector.13 It has been shown that soluble mediators released from DEN virus-infected Mo/M
exerted prominent effects on the biologic properties of endothelial cells and the hematopoietic cell population,46 suggesting that the interaction of DEN virus with Mo/M
could play a role in the pathogenesis of dengue. Since Mo/M
are active phagocytic cells with cytoplasmic lysosomal components capable of eliminating microorganisms,7 and DEN virus may induce cell death by apoptotic mechanisms,8,9 the interaction of DEN virus with Mo/M
may also result in deleterious effects on both virus and cells. To analyze the cellular damage induced by DEN virus, we conducted experiments to determine whether apoptosis and the release of tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-
) and nitric oxide occur in human monocyte cultures infected with DEN virus type 2. | MATERIALS AND METHODS |
|
|
|---|
Preparation of virus stock and virus titration. The DEN-2 virus strain New Guinea C was propagated in C6/36HT mosquito cells that were cultured in Eagles minimal essential medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum prior to infection of monocytes with virus. The virus culture medium was harvested after incubation for five days, cell debris was removed by centrifugation, and the virus supernatant was aliquoted and stored at -70°C until used. Virus was titrated by a plaque formation assay on Vero cells. Cells were seeded at a concentration of 1 x 106/well in 24-well plates, serial dilutions of virus were added, and the mixtures were incubated at 37°C for seven days. Plaques were visualized by staining with a solution of 1% crystal violet. Virus concentrations are given as plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml. The virus stock was free of endotoxin, as determined by a Limulus amebocyte lysate assay.
Infection of monocyte cultures. Virus culture fluid was added to adhered monocytes at final concentrations ranging from 4 x 105 to 4 x 103 PFU/ml (multiplicity of infection [MOI] = 0.8-0.008) and incubated at 37°C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 for six hours. In a second group of experiments, monocytes were infected with a virus concentration of 4 x 104 PFU/ml (MOI = 0.08) and incubated for one, two, four, and six hours. The controls used were monocytes cultured with supplemented medium without virus. In addition, monocyte cultures were incubated with heat-inactivated dengue virus (56°C for 30 min.) at a concentration of 4 x 104 PFU/ml for six hours. Culture media and infected cells were obtained for further studies.
Direct immunofluorescence for DEN-2 antigens. Experiments were performed in eight-well plastic chamber slides. Monocytes were washed in phosphate-buffered saline and fixed with cold acetone for five minutes. Intracellular viral antigens were detected by a direct immunofluorescence assay using a fluorescein-conjugated DEN-2 virus-specific monoclonal antibody (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO).
Electron microscopy. Monocytes seeded in 75-cm3 tissue culture flasks were incubated for six hours with DEN-2 virus (4 x 104 PFU/ml). Cells were then detached by incubation with 0.01% EDTA and removal with a cell scraper. After centrifugation, infected monocytes were fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.3. Cells were postfixed with 1% osmium tetraoxide, dehydrated in a graded ethanol series, and embedded in Epon 812. Samples were cut into ultrathin sections, stained with uranyl acetate, followed by lead citrate, and examined in an JEM 1010 (Jeol, Japan, Tokyo) electron microscope.
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The method for nick end-labeling of apoptotic cells was adapted from that of Gavrieli and others10 with a commercial kit (Pharmingen, San Diego, CA). Adhered monocytes were treated according to the protocol provided with this kit. The assay is based on the preferential binding of the fluorescein isothiocyanate-dUTP by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase to the 3' OH ends of the DNA. Positive apoptotic nuclei were assessed by fluorescence microscopy (Axioskop; Zeiss, Wetzlar, Germany).
Quantitation of TNF-
and nitric oxide.
Supernatants from DEN-2 virus-treated monocyte cultures (4 x 104 PFU/ml) were harvested at one, two, four, and six hours and tested for TNF-
using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Biosource International, Camarillo, CA). The assays were performed according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Total production of nitric oxide was determined by assaying for nitrite.11 To assay for nitrite, 50 µL of supernatants from control or infected monocyte cultures were removed from individual wells at the indicated times and incubated with 50 µL of Griess reagent (0.5% sulfanilamide, 0.05% N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride in 2.5% H3PO4). The optical densities of the samples were then obtained on a microplate reader (Benchmark; Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA) at 540 nm. A standard curve using NaNO2 was used to calculate concentrations of nitric oxide.
Statistical analysis. Quantification of the percentage of DEN+ cells and apoptotic cells was performed on at least 300 cells in duplicate samples. Results are shown as the mean ± SEM of at least three experiments. Statistical significance was assessed by analysis of variance or the paired t-test, as appropriate. Two-tailed P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
| RESULTS |
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and nitric oxide in DEN-2 virus-infected monocyte cultures.
Since monocytes may be reactive to the entry of virus particles and transiently release various mediators, we attempted to detect the apoptosis mediators TNF-
and nitric oxide in the supernatants of controls and infected cultures. Increased concentrations of TNF-
were found in supernatants of infected cultures at different periods of time (Figure 8
was found in non-infected cultures. No differences were found in nitrite concentrations between controls and infected cultures (control = 119 ± 7.3, infected = 116 ± 7.4 nM after culturing for six hours).
|
and low numbers of apoptotic cells (1.5 ± 0.4); these values were similar to those in noninfected cultures. | DISCUSSION |
|
|
|---|
In addition to the ingestion of viral particles by monocytes, cells from DEN-2 virus-infected cultures underwent apoptosis, as determined by the TUNEL assay and electron microscopy. This effect has previously shown in other DEN virus-infected mammalian cells.8,9,18,19 The percentage of apoptotic monocytes was related to the viral concentration and a very low percentage of apoptotic cells was observed in noninfected cultures, suggesting that the presence of virus is required to trigger cell death. The apoptotic event could prevent the release of infectious viral progeny.20 In addition, apoptotic cells and apoptotic bodies may be digested by neighboring monocytes. In this regard, macrophagic natural Kupffer cells have been shown to have a scavenger function for virus infected-apoptotic cells.8,21,22
Monocytes/macrophages can release various mediators in response to virus infection.23,24 These mediators released include interleukins, TNF, and nitric oxide that may interfere with the virus life cycle and/or initiate an inflammatory process during the course of dengue.2426 Increased expression of TNF-
was observed in DEN-2 virus-infected monocytes at different periods of time. However, no differences in nitric oxide concentrations were observed at six hours between noninfected and infected monocytes. Tumor necrosis factor-µ has been reported to be an apoptosis inducer in different systems.27,28 Since increased apoptosis was observed with increased concentrations of TNF-
, this cytokine could be involved in an autocrine or paracrine manner in the induction of apoptosis found in this study. Induction of apoptosis could represent a indirect effect of TNF-
to decrease viral progeny.8,2022 In addition, TNF-
is involved in others anti-viral mechanisms.29 Nitric oxide is generated in macrophages if the inducible enzyme nitric oxide synthase is present. Previous reports have shown increased production of nitric oxide and increased expression of this enzyme in macrophage cultures (Kupffer cells) as early as one hour after infection with dengue virus.8 We did not observe increased amounts of nitrate/ nitrite after six hours after infection of dengue virus in monocyte cultures, suggesting that the initial virus-monocyte interaction is not involved in the generation of nitric oxide.
No increased apoptotic cell number or production of TNF-
were detected when monocytes were exposed to heat-inactivated virus. This suggests that viable viruses are required to trigger both processes.
The source of increased levels of TNF-
found in patients infected with DEN virus30,31 could be partially related to the stimulation of monocytes by DEN virus. Our results demonstrated that the exposure of monocytes to DEN virus induced enhanced production of TNF-
in supernatants from infected cultures. In this regard, previous studies have also shown increased concentrations of TNF-
in the supernatants of monocytic-like cell cultures exposed to DEN-1 and DEN-3 viruses.32
Antibody-dependent enhancement is widely thought to be central to the development of the pathogenesis of the shock syndrome associated with dengue hemorrhagic fever. Non-neutralizing antibodies to DEN virus can enhance viral uptake and replication in monocytes.33,34 This study represents an in vitro and short-term interaction between DEN-2 virus and monocytes and could reflect the early primary viral infection. However, since the flavivirus status of the donors is not known, we can not rule out antibody-dependent enhancement mechanisms because small amounts of contaminating antibodies could be present upon isolation of monocytes.
In conclusion, although monocytes could undergo apoptosis in contact with the DEN 2-virus, monocytes may protect against virus replication by eliminating the virus through phagocytosis, phagocytosis of infected apoptotic cells or apoptotic bodies, or cytokine autocrine or paracrine mechanisms.
Received April 25, 2001. Accepted for publication March 21, 2002.
Acknowledgment: We thank Dr. Duane Gubler (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO) for the monoclonal antibody to dengue virus type 2 used in the viral immunofluorescence studies.
Reprint requests: Jesus A. Mosquera, Apartado Postal 1151, Maracaibo 4001-A, Zulia, Venezuela, Telephone/Fax: 58-61-597-247, E-mail: mosquera99{at}hotmail.com
Authors addresses: Luz M. Espina, Nereida J. Valero, and Janeth M. Hernández: Seccion de Virologia. Instituto de Investigaciones Clinicas Dr. Americo Negrete, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Apartado Postal 1151, Maracaibo 4001-A, Zulia, Venezuela, Jesús A. Mosquera, Seccion de Inmunologia y Biología Celular, Instituto de Investigaciones Clinicas Dr. Americo Negrete, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Apartado Postal 1151, Maracaibo 4001-A, Zulia, Venezuela.
| REFERENCES |
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
B. E. Dewi, T. Takasaki, and I. Kurane Peripheral blood mononuclear cells increase the permeability of dengue virus-infected endothelial cells in association with downregulation of vascular endothelial cadherin J. Gen. Virol., March 1, 2008; 89(3): 642 - 652. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Wati, P. Li, C. J. Burrell, and J. M. Carr Dengue Virus (DV) Replication in Monocyte-Derived Macrophages Is Not Affected by Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-{alpha}), and DV Infection Induces Altered Responsiveness to TNF-{alpha} Stimulation J. Virol., September 15, 2007; 81(18): 10161 - 10171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H.-C. Chen, F. M. Hofman, J. T. Kung, Y.-D. Lin, and B. A. Wu-Hsieh Both Virus and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Are Critical for Endothelium Damage in a Mouse Model of Dengue Virus-Induced Hemorrhage J. Virol., June 1, 2007; 81(11): 5518 - 5526. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Clyde, J. L. Kyle, and E. Harris Recent Advances in Deciphering Viral and Host Determinants of Dengue Virus Replication and Pathogenesis J. Virol., December 1, 2006; 80(23): 11418 - 11431. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Takhampunya, R. Padmanabhan, and S. Ubol Antiviral action of nitric oxide on dengue virus type 2 replication. J. Gen. Virol., October 1, 2006; 87(Pt 10): 3003 - 3011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
I. A. Clark, L. M. Alleva, A. C. Mills, and W. B. Cowden Pathogenesis of Malaria and Clinically Similar Conditions Clin. Microbiol. Rev., July 1, 2004; 17(3): 509 - 539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |