Inositoylated platelet-activating factor (Ino-C2-PAF) modulates dynamic lymphocyte-endothelial cell interactions and alleviates psoriasis-like skin inflammation in two complementary mouse models.

Psoriasis, a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-governed inflammatory disorder with prominent dysregulation of cutaneous vascular functions, has evolved into a model disorder for studying anti-inflammatory therapies. We present experimental in vitro and in vivo data on 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-(2-(myo-inositolyl)-ethyl)-sn-glycero-3-(R/S)-phosphatidyl-choline (Ino-C2-PAF), the lead compound of a class of synthetic glycosylated phospholipids, in anti-inflammatory therapy. Ino-C2-PAF strongly induced apoptosis only in TNFα-stimulated, but not in untreated human vascular endothelial cells. Moreover, TNFα-induced endothelial adhesion molecules that mediated the rolling and firm adhesion of leukocytes (vascular cell adhesion protein-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and ICAM-1) were selectively downregulated by Ino-C2-PAF. Similarly, expression of L-selectin, VCAM-1 receptor α4β1 integrin , and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was reduced without induction of apoptosis. Functionally, these changes were accompanied by significant impairment of rolling and adhesion of human peripheral blood lymphocytes on TNFα-activated endothelial cells in a dynamic flow chamber system. When the therapeutic potential of Ino-C2-PAF was assessed in two complementary mouse models of psoriasis, K5.hTGFβ1 transgenic and JunB/c-Jun-deficient mice, Ino-C2-PAF led to significant alleviation of the clinical symptoms and normalized the pathological cutaneous changes including vascularization. There were no overt adverse effects. These findings suggested that Ino-C2-PAF is a potential candidate in the therapy of inflammatory skin diseases that include abnormal vascular functions.