Increased Monocyte-Derived CD11b Macrophage Subpopulations Following Cigarette Smoke Exposure Are Associated With Impaired Bleomycin-Induced Tissue Remodelling.

RATIONALE

The accumulation of macrophages in the airways and the pulmonary interstitium is a hallmark of cigarette smoke-associated inflammation. Notably, pulmonary macrophages are not a homogenous population but consist of several subpopulations. To date, the manner in which cigarette smoke exposure affects the relative composition and functional capacity of macrophage subpopulations has not been elucidated.

METHODS

Using a whole-body cigarette smoke exposure system, we investigated the impact of cigarette smoke on macrophage subpopulations in C57BL/6 mice using flow cytometry-based approaches. Moreover, we used bromodeoxyuridine labelling plus and mice to assess the relative contribution of local proliferation and monocyte recruitment to macrophage accumulation. To assess the functional consequences of altered macrophage subpopulations, we used a model of concurrent bleomycin-induced lung injury and cigarette smoke exposure to examine tissue remodelling processes.

MAIN RESULTS

Cigarette smoke exposure altered the composition of pulmonary macrophages increasing CD11b subpopulations including monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages (Mo-AM) as well as interstitial macrophages (IM)1, -2 and -3. The increase in CD11b subpopulations was observed at multiple cigarette smoke exposure timepoints. Bromodeoxyuridine labelling and studies in mice demonstrated that increased Mo-AM and IM3 turnover in the lungs of cigarette smoke-exposed mice was IL-1α dependent. Compositional changes in macrophage subpopulations were associated with impaired induction of fibrogenesis including decreased α-smooth muscle actin positive cells following intratracheal bleomycin treatment. Mechanistically, and assays demonstrated predominant macrophage M1 polarisation and reduced matrix metallopeptidase 9 activity in cigarette smoke-exposed mice.

CONCLUSION

Cigarette smoke exposure modified the composition of pulmonary macrophage by expanding CD11b subpopulations. These compositional changes were associated with attenuated fibrogenesis, as well as predominant M1 polarisation and decreased fibrotic activity. Overall, these data suggest that cigarette smoke exposure altered the composition of pulmonary macrophage subpopulations contributing to impaired tissue remodelling.