Presence of cathelicidin LL37 and immunoendocrine-related compounds in THP1-derived macrophages infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis exposed to cortisol and/or DHEA

LUCIANO D'ATILLIO; MARÍA L. BAY; SARA MARÍN-LUÉVANO; ROCÍO DEL VALLE FERNÁNDEZ; OSCAR BOTTASSO; BETTINA BONGIOVANNI; ARIANA DIAZ; BRUNO RIVAS-SANTIAGO

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias y 65ta Reunión de la SAI; Buenos Aires, 13-17 Noviembre 2017; 2017

Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencia

Macrophages were found to be influenced in their anti-mycobacterial response since treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) of macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) led to a reduction in intracellular bacterial load and increased autophagy. In parallel, the macrophage effector response in the tuberculosis infection is highly related to the production of antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidin LL37, which appears increased during autophagy, as well. Given this background, THP-1-derived macrophages were now infected with Mtb strain H37Rv (MOI 5:1) during 3 hr in presence or absence of Gc (1 and 0.1μM) and/or DHEA (1; 0.1 and 0.01μM). Upon washing, cells were cultured for 24 hr in the same media with or without hormones to further analyze the expression of LL37, glucocorticoid receptors -alpha and beta- (GRα and GRβ), enzymes regulating cortisol availability (11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 -11βHSD1- and type 2) the pro-apoptotic protein (caspase 3), the inflammasome related protein (NLRP) by qRT-PCR, and IL1β levels (ELISA).Results showed that Mtb increased IL-1β production (p