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Cyclic AMP regulatory element binding protein and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) may control inflammation by several mechanisms, one of the best characterized is the induction of the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). STAT3 also down-regulates the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-coupled receptors, a mechanism termed cross-inhibition. Because signalling via ITAM-dependent mechanisms is a hallmark of fungal pattern receptors, STAT3 activation might be involved in the cross-inhibition associated with invasive fungal infections. The fungal surrogate zymosan produced the phosphorylation of Y705-STAT3 and the expression of Ifnb1 and Socs3, but did not induce the interferon (IFN)-signature cytokines Cxcl9 and Cxcl10 in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Unlike lipopolysaccharide (LPS), zymosan induced IL-10 and phosphorylated Y705-STAT3 to a similar extent in Irf3 and Ifnar1 knockout and wild-type mice. Human dendritic cells showed similar results, although the induction of IFNB1 was less prominent. These results indicate that LPS and zymosan activate STAT3 through different routes. Whereas type I IFN is the main effector of LPS effect, the mechanism involved in Y705-STAT3 phosphorylation by zymosan is more complex, cannot be associated with type I IFN, IL-6 or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and seems dependent on several factors given that it was partially inhibited by the platelet-activating factor antagonist WEB2086 and high concentrations of COX inhibitors, p38 mitogen-activate protein kinase inhibitors, and blockade of tumour necrosis factor-α function. Altogether, these results indicate that fungal pattern receptors share with other ITAM-coupled receptors the capacity to produce cross-inhibition through a mechanism involving STAT3 and induction of SOCS3 and IL-10, but that cannot be explained through type I IFN signalling., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Zymosan coated with complement (Zc) was observed to induce a transient elevation of the intracellular cyclic AMP in human polymorphonuclear cells: a two- to three-fold increase was observed within 1 min after stimulation and approached prestimulation levels by 2 min incubation. These changes in cyclic AMP were not associated with significant changes in cyclic GMP levels. Zymosan caused the release of PAF and beta-glucuronidase and particle uptake, which was initiated about 5 min after stimulation. These results suggest that the transient increase in cyclic AMP content might regulate an early event during mediator release. In an attempt to study further the significance of this rise in cyclic AMP, cells were preincubated with various phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Preincubation of the cells with methylisobutylxanthine (MIX, 10(-6) M to 5 X 10(-5) M), theophylline (3 X 10(-5) to 3 X 10(-3) M) or dipyridamole (10(-6) M to 10(-4) M) enhanced the increase in cyclic AMP levels, but resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of Zc-induced mediator release. Particle uptake and beta-glucuronidase release were less sensitive than PAF release to phosphodiesterase inhibitors, which argues in favour of the independence of both phenomena. Synergistic experiments with MIX and cyclic AMP indicate that the effect of this drug is through its action on cyclic AMP levels. These results suggest that while Zc-induced cyclic AMP elevation might occur in an intracellular place critical to its effect; phosphodiesterase inhibitors may elevate cyclic AMP levels throughout the cell and therefore inhibit the biological response.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a mediator of a anaphylaxis found initially in basophils and later in mouse and rat macrophages. The purpose of this paper was to determine the cellular origin of PAF released from human leucocytes and to establish if phagocytosis is a more important stimulus for PAF release than anaphylactic reactions. Phagocytic leucocytes (monocytes and PMNs) released PAF, physicochemically analogous to the PAF obtained by anaphylactic reactions in rabbits when challenged with zymosan, zymosan coated with complement, immune complexes, immunoglobulin aggregates or calcium ionophore A23187. Basophils failed to release PAF by anti-human IgE antibody, although positive degranulation and histamine liberaton were found. Pre-incubation of phagocytosing leucocytes with cytochalasin B or colchicine produced a diminution of PAF release, whereas beta-glucuronidase liberation was increased. The addition of carboxypeptidase B did not significantly modify PAF or beta-glucuronidase release. These data indicate that PAF obtained from preparations of human leucocytes comes from monocytes and polymorphonuclears; human basophils do not liberate measurable quantities of PAF, either by anaphylactic stimulus or by neutrophil cationic proteins; liberation of PAF and lysosomal content follow different mechanisms as they have different kinetics and are modified in an opposite way by drugs acting on the cytoskeleton.