Granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor differentially regulates neutrophil migration across IL-1-activated and nonactivated human endothelium.

The directed migration of neutrophils across vascular endothelium to localize in inflammatory tissues is controlled by soluble mediators, including cytokines and growth factors. Granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) enhances and primes neutrophil functions, but its specific role in the movement and localization of neutrophils to infective sites has not been clarified. We demonstrate, using an in vitro model of the vascular endothelial barrier, that GM-CSF enhances neutrophil migration across unstimulated endothelium, increasing the percentage of migrating cells from 7.7 +/- 0.9% (mean +/- SE) in controls to 12.5 +/- 1.5% in the presence of GM-CSF (100 ng/ml) (n = 14, p < 0.0005). This effect is dose dependent, with maximal effects achieved at concentrations of 10 ng/ml or greater, and is independent of concentration gradients of GM-CSF. Transendothelial migration of neutrophils can also be increased by cytokine treatment of the endothelial cells. Preincubation of endothelial monolayers with IL-1 (10 U/ml) for 4 h increases the percentage of migrating cells to 16.8 +/- 1.4% (238 +/- 25% of base line, n = 7, p < 0.005). In the presence of GM-CSF, however, neutrophil migration across IL-1 treated endothelium (12.5 +/- 1.6%, n = 7) is no different from that across resting endothelium (11.6 +/- 1.6% in the same seven experiments). Hence GM-CSF acts to inhibit neutrophil migration across IL-1-activated endothelium, and almost completely abolishes IL-1-induced migration (n = 7, p < 0.0005). This differential effect of GM-CSF on neutrophil migration, depending upon the conditions of endothelial activation, does not relate to an effect on adhesion, because GM-CSF has no effect on the increased adhesion of neutrophils to IL-1-treated endothelium. The effect of GM-CSF on neutrophil migration across activated endothelium may be relevant to the clinical administration of human rGM-CSF.