We have developed and validated an inexpensive and equivalent method for measuring eosinophil adhesion by β 2-integrin to endothelial ICAM-1 using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a surrogate for the immunoglobulin supergene. The number of adherent eosinophils on BSA or ICAM-1 coated microplates was quantified by residual eosinophil peroxidase activity. Non-stimulated eosinophils did not adhere to either BSA or ICAM-1. However, after IL-5 stimulation, either BSA or ICAM-1 caused comparable and concentration-dependent adhesion of eosinophils. Eosinophil adhesion was rapid and occurred within 15 to 30 min of incubation for either BSA or ICAM-1. Preincubation of cells with CD11b or CD18 antibody specifically decreased adhesion to either BSA or ICAM-1. IL-5, PAF and fMLP all induced adhesion of eosinophils to either BSA or ICAM-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, and the optimal IL-5, fMLP and PAF concentrations for adhesion to BSA were the same as for adhesion to ICAM-1. BSA-binding was specific for β 2-integrin; neither α-CD49d mAb directed against the α 4-chain or α-CD29 directed against the common β 1-chain of VLA-4 blocked adhesion to BSA or ICAM-1 controls. The protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) inhibitor, wortmanin, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, U0126, all inhibited IL-5-induced eosinophil adhesion to either BSA or ICAM-1 comparably. These results indicate that BSA is a reliable and economical surrogate ligand for ICAM-1 adhesion to β 2-integrin-dependent adhesion to ICAM-1. Ligation characteristics of BSA are identical to those for soluble ICAM-1, and the assay is suitable for assessment of signal transduction pathways mediating adhesion.
Read full abstract