Abstract
Truncated phospholipid oxidation products (Tr-OxPL) increase in blood circulation with aging; however, their role in the severity of vascular dysfunction and bacterial lung injury in aging groups remains poorly understood. We investigated the effects of six Tr-OxPL species: KOdiA-PC, POVPC, PONPC, PGPC, Paz-PC, and Lyso-PC on endothelial dysfunction and lung inflammation caused by heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus (HKSA) in young (aged 2-4 months) and old (aged 12-18 months) mice, organotypic culture of precisely cut lung slices, and endothelial cells (mLEC) isolated from young and old mice. HKSA and Tr-OxPL combination caused a higher degree of vascular leak, the accumulation of inflammatory cells and protein in bronchoalveolar lavage, and inflammatory gene expression in old mice lungs. HKSA caused a greater magnitude of inflammatory gene activation in cell and ex vivo cultures from old mice, which was further augmented by Tr-OxPLs. L37pA peptide targeting CD36 receptor attenuated Tr-OxPL-induced endothelial cell permeability in young and old mLEC and ameliorated KOdiA-PC-induced vascular leak and lung inflammation in vivo. Finally, CD36 knockout mice showed better resistance to KOdiA-PC-induced lung injury in both age groups. These results demonstrate the aging-dependent vulnerability of pulmonary vasculature to elevated Tr-OxPL, which exacerbates bacterial lung injury. CD36 inhibition is a promising therapeutic approach for improving pneumonia outcomes in aging population.