P-selectin present on surfaces of activated endothelium and platelets
mediates neutrophil-endothelial and neutrophil-platelet interactions.
The role of P-selectin in vivo was examined in a model of acute passiv
e anti-GEM nephritis in P-selectin-deficient and wild-type mice which
was induced by intravenous injection of anti-GEM serum. There were two
major differences between P-selectin-deficient and wild-type mice. Fi
rstly, mutant mice had approximately two fold more glomerular PMNs and
albuminuria than wild-type animals at the peak of neutrophil influx a
nd proteinuria. Secondly, Lipoxin A(4) (LXA(4)), an eicosanoid which i
nhibits leukocyte-endothelial adhesion in vitro, and is generated prim
arily by transcellular biosynthetic routes during P-selectin-mediated
platelet-PMN interaction [1], was approximately 60% of wild type level
s in nephritic kidneys of P-selectin-deficient mice. Injection of wild
-type platelets into P-selectin-null mice restored LXA(4) to wild-type
levels. The corresponding PMN influx approximated PMN levels in wild-
type mice receiving platelets but urine albuminuria remained higher. A
lthough these two P-selectin-dependent events cannot be directly linke
d, our results point to the importance of considering both platelet an
d endothelial P-selectin in determining the cellular events in inflamm
ation.