Study of Immunomodulatory Effects of Extracellular HSP70 in a Mouse Model of Allergic Airway Inflammation

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M. A. Shevchenko¹, N. I. Troyanova¹, E. A. Servuli¹, E. L. Bolkhovitina¹, A. S. Fedorina¹, and A. M. Sapozhnikov^1,2*

¹Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: amsap@mx.ibch.ru

²Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received May 25, 2016; Revision received July 27, 2016

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Immunostimulatory properties of extracellular heat shock proteins 70 kDa (HSP70) became interesting for investigators a long time ago. However, in recent years a series of works showing a significant relation of the immunostimulating effects of recombinant HSP70 to contamination of the protein samples with bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) has been published. The authors showed that intensive elimination of LPS from the protein samples resulted in inversion of immunostimulating effects of HSP70 to immunosuppressive activity of the protein. Nevertheless, at present the conception of immunostimulating, proinflammatory action of extracellular HSP70 is the most common. In this work, we studied immunomodulatory effects of exogenous HSP70 in a mouse model of allergic inflammation of airways. We also analyzed the dynamics of the level of the extracellular pool of HSP70 in the site of inflammation. The results demonstrated a considerable content of extracellular HSP70 in bronchoalveolar lavages with dynamics reflecting the stages of development of the induced inflammation. Oropharyngeal injection of exogenous HSP70 in the acute phase of allergic inflammation of airways resulted in significant suppression of the inflammatory process, which conforms to published data demonstrating an immunosuppressive activity of the extracellular pool of HSP70.

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KEY WORDS: heat shock protein 70 kDa, HSP70, airway allergic inflammation, immunomodulatory effects

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297916110158

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