PLoS ONE (Jan 2015)

Peptide 19-2.5 inhibits heparan sulfate-triggered inflammation in murine cardiomyocytes stimulated with human sepsis serum.

  • Lukas Martin,
  • Susanne Schmitz,
  • Rebecca De Santis,
  • Sabine Doemming,
  • Hajo Haase,
  • Janine Hoeger,
  • Lena Heinbockel,
  • Klaus Brandenburg,
  • Gernot Marx,
  • Tobias Schuerholz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127584
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 5
p. e0127584

Abstract

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Myocardial dysfunction in sepsis has been linked to inflammation caused by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) as well as by host danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These include soluble heparan sulfate (HS), which triggers the devastating consequences of the pro-inflammatory cascades in severe sepsis and septic shock. Thus, there is increasing interest in the development of anti-infective agents, with effectiveness against both PAMPs and DAMPs. We hypothesized that a synthetic antimicrobial peptide (peptide 19-2.5) inhibits inflammatory response in murine cardiomyocytes (HL-1 cells) stimulated with PAMPs, DAMPs or serum from patients with septic shock by reduction and/or neutralization of soluble HS. In the current study, our data indicate that the treatment with peptide 19-2.5 decreases the inflammatory response in HL-1 cells stimulated with either PAMPs or DAMPs. Furthermore, our work shows that soluble HS in serum from patients with Gram-negative or Gram-positive septic shock induces a strong pro-inflammatory response in HL-1 cells, which can be effectively blocked by peptide 19-2.5. Based on these findings, peptide 19-2.5 is a novel anti-inflammatory agent interacting with both PAMPs and DAMPs, suggesting peptide 19-2.5 may have the potential for further development as a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agent in sepsis-induced myocardial inflammation and dysfunction.