The Nod1 stimulating agonists C12-iEDAP and FK156 stimulate neutrophil bacterial phagocytosis impaired by CsA and increase renal defenses against UPEC.

(A) Illustrations and quantification of Texas red-coupled E. coli internalized by circulating neutrophils collected from WT mice treated with CsA for 5 days then with CsA plus C12-iEDAP (80 µg per mouse) for a further 5 h. Neutrophils were isolated from the blood of 3 mice under each of the conditions tested. Representative values (mean ± SE) of the mean counts (9–15 per condition) from 3 independent experiments. Cell membranes were stained with WGA Alexa Fluor 647 conjugate. Bars, 10 µm. (B and C) Bacterial counts (B) and MPO activity (C) in kidneys of CsA-treated WT mice pre-treated or not with C12-iEDAP (n = 6), FK156 (n = 9), or MDP (n = 7) (80 µg per mouse), and then challenged 24 h later with E. coli HT7. (D) Immunoblot analysis of Nod1 and the corresponding ß-actin in the post-infected kidney homogenates from vehicle- and CsA-treated mice which had received FK156 12 h before UPEC inoculation. (E) Production of CXCL2 and CXCL1 in the 24 h post-infected kidneys from vehicle- or CsA-treated WT mice pre-treated or not with C12-iEDAP or FK156 (n = 6–9 per group). *, p<0.05 (A, C, E, Two-tailed, unpaired Student's t test; B, Mann-Whitney test).