Relevance of L-selectin Shedding for Leukocyte Rolling In Vivo

The velocity of rolling leukocytes is thought to be determined by the expression of adhesion molecules and the prevailing wall shear stress. Here, we investigate whether rapid cleavage of L-selectin may be an additional physiologic regulatory parameter of leukocyte rolling. A unique protease in the membrane of leukocytes cleaves L-selectin after activation, resulting in L-selectin shedding. The hydroxamic acid–based metalloprotease inhibitor KD-IX-73-4 completely prevented L-selectin shedding in vitro and significantly decreased the rolling velocity of leukocytes in untreated wild-type C57BL/6 mice from 55 to 35 μm/s in vivo. When E-selectin was expressed on the endothelium (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α treatment 2.5–3 h before the experiment), rolling velocity was 4 μm/s and did not change after the application of KD-IX-73-4. However, KD-IX-73-4 decreased mean rolling velocity by 29% from 23 to 16 μm/s in E-selectin–deficient mice treated with TNF-α. The reduction of velocity caused by KD-IX-73-4 was immediate (<5 s) after injection of KD-IX-73-4 as shown by a novel method using a local catheter. These results establish a role for L-selectin shedding in regulating leukocyte rolling velocity in vivo.