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Uricase-Deficient Larval Zebrafish with Elevated Urate Levels Demonstrate Suppressed Acute Inflammatory Response to Monosodium Urate Crystals and Prolonged Crystal Persistence.

ABSTRACT: Gout is caused by elevated serum urate leading to the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals that can trigger episodes of acute inflammation. Humans are sensitive to developing gout because they lack a functional urate-metabolizing enzyme called uricase/urate oxidase (encoded by the UOX gene). A hallmark of long-standing disease is tophaceous gout, characterized by the formation of tissue-damaging granuloma-like structures ('tophi') composed of densely packed MSU crystals and immune cells. Little is known about how tophi form, largely due to the lack of suitable animal models in which the host response to MSU crystals can be studied in vivo long-term. We have previously described a larval zebrafish model of acute gouty inflammation where the host response to microinjected MSU crystals can be live imaged within an intact animal. Although useful for modeling acute inflammation, crystals are rapidly cleared following a robust innate immune response, precluding analysis at later stages. Here we describe a zebrafish uox null mutant that possesses elevated urate levels at larval stages. Uricase-deficient 'hyperuricemic' larvae exhibit a suppressed acute inflammatory response to MSU crystals and prolonged in vivo crystal persistence. Imaging of crystals at later stages reveals that they form granuloma-like structures dominated by macrophages. We believe that uox^-/- larvae will provide a useful tool to explore the transition from acute gouty inflammation to tophus formation, one of the remaining mysteries of gout pathogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Linnerz T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9777727 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Uricase-Deficient Larval Zebrafish with Elevated Urate Levels Demonstrate Suppressed Acute Inflammatory Response to Monosodium Urate Crystals and Prolonged Crystal Persistence.

Linnerz Tanja T Sung Yih Jian YJ Rolland Leah L Astin Jonathan W JW Dalbeth Nicola N Hall Christopher J CJ

Genes 20221122 12

Gout is caused by elevated serum urate leading to the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals that can trigger episodes of acute inflammation. Humans are sensitive to developing gout because they lack a functional urate-metabolizing enzyme called uricase/urate oxidase (encoded by the <i>UOX</i> gene). A hallmark of long-standing disease is tophaceous gout, characterized by the formation of tissue-damaging granuloma-like structures ('tophi') composed of densely packed MSU crystals and immun ...[more]

PMID: 36553446

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Project description:Objective. To identify novel monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced mRNAs by transcript profiling of isolated murine air pouch membranes. Methods. Nine hours after injecting crystals into air pouches, membranes were meticulously dissected away from the adjacent soft tissues. mRNA expression differences between inflamed and control membranes were determined by oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Induction of selected mRNAs was validated by real-time relative quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qPCR) in pouch membranes and murine peritoneal macrophages. Results. Eleven of the 12 most highly upregulated mRNAs related to innate immunity and inflammation. They included mRNAs encoding histidine decarboxylase (the enzyme that synthesizes histamine), interleukin (IL)-6, the cell surface receptors PUMA-g and TREM-1, and the polypeptides Irg1 and PROK-2. MSU crystals induced dramatic rises in these mRNAs in the pouch membrane within 3-8 hours after the surge in pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1beta and TNFalpha) and immediate early gene (Egr-1) transcription, which occurred 1h after crystal injection. MSU crystals induced these mRNAs in cultured macrophages with similar kinetics but lower fold changes. In keeping with their downregulation by MSU crystals according to the microarrays, qPCR confirmed that TREM-2 and granzyme D mRNAs decreased 79% and 94%, respectively, in MSU crystal inflamed membranes. Conclusions. This analysis disclosed several genes previously not implicated in MSU crystal inflammation. Their rise after the early surge in cytokine mRNAs suggests that they may, for instance, amplify or perpetuate inflammation. Transcript profiling of the isolated air pouch membrane promises to be a powerful tool to identify genes acting at different stages of inflammation. Experiment Overall Design: Mouse strain: female Balb/C, 6-8 weeks old Experiment Overall Design: Number of mice= 6. Experiment Overall Design: Air pouches raised on back for 7 days by injecting 2ml of sterile air. Experiment Overall Design: On day 7, injection of 1ml PBS or 2mg MSU crystals in 1ml PBS (n=3 each) Experiment Overall Design: 9 h after injection, dissection of the air pouch membranes from the adjacent soft tissues, RNA extraction with RNeasy columns. Pooling of RNA from the 3 control pouches or the 3 MSU crystal pouches. Processing and labeling of 5ug aliquots in the U Penn microarray core according to standard Affy protocols. Hybridization to Affy Mo430_2 oligonucleotide microarrays.

Project description:BackgroundDual-energy CT (DECT) can acknowledge differences in tissue compositions and can colour-code tissues with specific features including monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. However, when evaluating gout patients, DECT frequently colour-codes material not truly representing MSU crystals and this might lead to misinterpretations. The characteristics of and variations in properties of colour-coded DECT lesions in gout patients have not yet been systematically investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties and locations of colour-coded DECT lesions in gout patients.MethodsDECT of the hands, knees and feet were performed in patients with suspected gout using factory default gout settings, and colour-coded DECT lesions were registered. For each lesion, properties [mean density (mean of Hounsfield Units (HU) at 80 kV and Sn150kV), mean DECT ratio and size] and location were determined. Subgroup analysis was performed post hoc evaluating differences in locations of lesions when divided into definite MSU depositions and possibly other lesions.ResultsIn total, 4033 lesions were registered in 27 patients (23 gout patients, 3918 lesions; 4 non-gout patients, 115 lesions). In gout patients, lesions had a median density of 160.6 HU and median size of 6 voxels, and DECT ratios showed an approximated normal distribution (mean 1.06, SD 0.10), but with a right heavy tail consistent with the presence of smaller amounts of high effective atomic number lesions (e.g. calcium-containing lesions). The most common locations of lesions were 1st metatarsophalangeal (MTP1), knee and midtarsal joints along with quadriceps and patella tendons. Subgroup analyses showed that definite MSU depositions (large volume, low DECT ratio, high density) had a similar distribution pattern, whereas possible calcium-containing material (high DECT ratio) and non-gout MSU-imitating lesions (properties as definite MSU depositions in non-gout patients) were primarily found in some larger joints (knee, midtarsal and talocrural) and tendons (Achilles and quadriceps). MTP1 joints and patella tendons showed only definite MSU depositions.ConclusionColour-coded DECT lesions in gout patients showed heterogeneity in properties and distribution. MTP1 joints and patella tendons exclusively showed definite MSU depositions. Hence, a sole focus on these regions in the evaluation of gout patients may improve the specificity of DECT scans.

Dataset Information

Uricase-Deficient Larval Zebrafish with Elevated Urate Levels Demonstrate Suppressed Acute Inflammatory Response to Monosodium Urate Crystals and Prolonged Crystal Persistence.

Publications

Uricase-Deficient Larval Zebrafish with Elevated Urate Levels Demonstrate Suppressed Acute Inflammatory Response to Monosodium Urate Crystals and Prolonged Crystal Persistence.

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