Effect of acute lung injury on VLA-4 and CXCR4 expression in resident and circulating hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

Background: The effect of acute lung injury on adhesion molecule expression in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) is poorly understood. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship -between pulmonary inflammation, expression of VLA-4 (CD49d), LFA-1 (CD11a), L-selectin (CD62L), CXCR4, and chemotaxis in resident HSPCs, as well as the level of circulating HSPCs. Methods: Following intratracheal administration of a single LPS bolus in C57Bl/6 mice, the number of inflammatory cells, differential counts, and amounts of cytokines/ chemokines were studied in cytospins and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens. Expressions of adhesion -molecules and CXCR4 were analyzed in HSPCs by flow cytometry, as well as SDF-1-directed chemotaxis. Levels of HSPCs in the blood were studied in ungated and circulating subpopulations. Results: In coincidence with a peak of airway neutrophils, cytokine (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6), chemokine (KC, MIP-2, and SDF-1) levels in BALF and the number of marrow HSPCs expressing CD49d and CXCR4 significantly increased at 48 h. The number of CD49d- and CXCR4-positive HSPCs dropped at 72 h. The HSPC subset comprising bigger cells behaved the same for CD49d. Chemotaxis of the marrow HSPC subset of bigger cells was higher in LPS-treated animals than in controls at 72 h. Finally, we could detect a significant decrease in circulating Sca-1⁺ cells in the mononuclear population at 72 h in LPS-treated mice. Conclusions: Our data provide evidence for a temporal relationship between pulmonary inflammation, CD49d and CXCR4 expression fluctuation in resident HSPCs, and the level of circulating HSPCs.