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Apoptosis mediated by Fas ligand (FasL) initiates inflammation characterized by neutrophilic infiltration. Neutrophils undergo apoptosis and are ingested by macrophages. Clearance of dead neutrophils leads to prostaglandin- and transforming growth factor-β-dependent replication of Leishmania major in macrophages from susceptible mice. How L. major induces neutrophil turnover in a physiological setting is unknown. We show that BALB/c FasL-sufficient mice are more susceptible to L. major infection than are FasL-deficient mice. FasL promotes the apoptosis of infected resident macrophages and attracts neutrophils. Furthermore, FasL-sufficient neutrophils exacerbate L. major replication in macrophages, whereas FasL-deficient neutrophils induce parasite killing. These contrasting effects are due to delaying apoptosis and the clearance of FasL-deficient neutrophils. The transfer of neutrophils exacerbates infection in FasL-sufficient mice but reduces infection in FasL-deficient mice. Depletion of neutrophils abolishes the susceptibility of FasL-sufficient mice. These data illustrate a deleterious role of the FasL-mediated turnover of neutrophils on L. major infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated early cellular responses induced by infection with Leishmania major in macrophages from resistant C57/BL6 mice. Infection increased production of reactive oxygen species by resident, but not inflammatory peritoneal macrophages. In addition, infection increased activation of stress-activated protein kinases/c-Jun N-terminal kinases (SAPK/JNK) in resident, but not in inflammatory peritoneal macrophages. Infection also increased expression of membrane and soluble FasL, but infected macrophages remained viable after 48 h. Infection increased secretion of cytokines/chemokines TNF-α, IL-6, TIMP-1, IL-1RA, G-CSF, TREM, KC, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MCP-1, and MIP-2 in resident macrophages. Addition of antioxidants deferoxamine and N-acetylcysteine reduced ROS generation and JNK activation. Addition of antioxidants or JNK inhibitor SP600125 reduced secretion of KC. Furthermore, treatment with antioxidants or JNK inhibitor also reduced intracellular parasite replication. These results indicated that infection triggers a rapid cellular stress response in resident macrophages which induces proinflammatory signals, but is also involved in parasite survival and replication in host macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]