Lung and general health effects of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4)-interacting SPA4 peptide

A surfactant protein-A-derived peptide, which we call SPA4 peptide (amino acids: GDFRYSDGTPVNYTNWYRGE), alleviates lung infection and inflammation. This study investigated the effects of intratracheally administered SPA4 peptide on systemic, lung, and health parameters in an outbred mouse strain, and in an intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge model.

The outbred CD-1 mice were intratracheally administered with incremental doses of SPA4 peptide (0.625–10 μg/g body weight) once every 24 h, for 3 days. Mice left untreated and those treated with vehicle were included as controls. Mice were euthanized after 24 h of last administration of SPA4 peptide. In order to assess the biological activity of SPA4 peptide, C57BL6 mice were intratracheally challenged with 5 μg LPS/g body weight and treated with 50 μg SPA4 peptide via intratracheal route 1 h post LPS-challenge. Mice were euthanized after 4 h of LPS challenge. Signs of sickness and body weights were regularly monitored. At the time of necropsy, blood and major organs were harvested. Blood gas and electrolytes, serum biochemical profiles and SPA4 peptide-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels, and common lung injury markers (levels of total protein, albumin, and lactate, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and lung wet/dry weight ratios) were determined. Lung, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, and intestine were examined histologically. Differences in measured parameters were analyzed among study groups by analysis of variance test.

The results demonstrated no signs of sickness or changes in body weight over 3 days of treatment with various doses of SPA4 peptide. It did not induce any major toxicity or IgG antibody response to SPA4 peptide. The SPA4 peptide treatment also did not affect blood gas, electrolytes, or serum biochemistry. There was no evidence of injury to the tissues and organs. However, the SPA4 peptide suppressed the LPS-induced lung inflammation.

These findings provide an initial toxicity profile of SPA4 peptide. Intratracheal administration of escalating doses of SPA4 peptide does not induce any significant toxicity at tissue and organ levels. However, treatment with a dose of 50 μg SPA4 peptide, comparable to 2.5 μg/g body weight, alleviates LPS-induced lung inflammation.