Quantification of bronchoalveolar neutrophil extracellular traps and phagocytosis in murine pneumonia.

Quantification of bronchoalveolar neutrophil extracellular traps and phagocytosis in murine pneumonia. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2020 Aug 12;: Authors: Gautam S, Stahl Y, Young GM, Howell R, Cohen AJ, Tsang DA, Martin T, Sharma L, Dela Cruz CS Abstract The past two decades have witnessed a resurgence in neutrophil research, inspired in part by the discovery of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and their myriad roles in health and disease. Within the lung, dysregulation of neutrophils and NETosis have been linked to an array of diseases including pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and severe asthma. However, our understanding of pathologic neutrophil responses in the lung remains incomplete. Two methodologic issues have contributed to this gap: first, an emphasis on studying neutrophils from blood rather than the lung; and second, the technical difficulties of interrogating neutrophil responses in mice, which has largely restricted basic murine research to specialized laboratories. To address these limitations, we have developed a suite of techniques for studying neutrophil effector functions specifically in the mouse lung. These include ex vivo assays for phagocytosis and NETosis using bronchoalveolar neutrophils, and in situ evaluation of NETosis in a murine model of pneumonia. Throughout, we have prioritized technical ease and robust, q...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology - Category: Cytology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol Source Type: research