Different Functions of Human Scavenger Receptors BI and BII Overexpressed in a Murine Abdominal Sepsis Model

Class B scavenger receptor BI splice variants (SR-BI) and BII (SR-BII) internalize lipoproteins but also bind and internalize bacteria. Their individual roles in sepsis are unknown. We overexpressed human SR-BI or BII in transgenic mice, primarily in the liver, but also in the kidney and in bone marrow-derived macrophages, and then performed cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. SR-BI and BII transgenic mice had significantly worse survival compared to WT mice. Twenty-four hours after CLP, liver injury markers and histological damage were elevated in both SR-BI and BII transgenic mice, whereas kidney damage was similar. Systemic inflammatory cytokines were markedly increased in SR-BI and BII transgenic mice; parallel increases were seen in liver mRNA expression, but not in the kidney. The highest degree of neutrophil infiltration was observed in the liver of SR-BI. Human SR-BI and BII dramatically decreased bacterial accumulation in the liver. Green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli were efficiently phagocytosed in hepatic macrophages of SR-BI and BII transgenic mice; phagocytosis was more prominent in SR-BII transgenic mice. Finally, human SR-BI overexpression reduced systemic HDL-C levels, eliminated adrenal cortex lipid droplets, and dampened the systemic increase of corticosterone after CLP. Supplementation with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid improved survival in SR-BI but not in SR-BII transgenic mice after CLP. In summary, our findings suggest human SR-BI and BII overexpression contributes to higher mortality after CLP by different mechanisms: excessive inflammatory response due to adrenal insufficiency (SR-BI) or hyperactive phagocytosis (SR-BII) in the liver.