Inhibition of host 5-lipoxygenase reduces overexuberant inflammatory responses and mortality associated with
Cryptococcus
meningoencephalitis
Authors: Castro-Lopez Natalia , Campuzano Althea , Mdalel Elysa , Vanegas Difernando , Chaturvedi Ashok , Nguyen Phung , Pulse Mark , Cardona Astrid E. , Wormley Floyd L. 
Published: July 2024

Cryptococcosis, caused by fungi of the genus
Cryptococcus
, manifests in a broad range of clinical presentations, including severe pneumonia and disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and other tissues (bone and skin). Immune deficiency or development of overexuberant inflammatory responses can result in increased susceptibility or host damage, respectively, during fungal encounters. Leukotrienes help regulate inflammatory responses against fungal infections. Nevertheless, studies showed that
Cryptococcus
exploits host 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), an enzyme central to the metabolism of arachidonic acid into leukotrienes, to facilitate transmigration across the brain–blood barrier. To investigate the impact of host 5-LO on the development of protective host immune responses and mortality during cryptococcosis, wild-type (C57BL/6) and 5-lipoxygenase-deficient (5-LO
−/−
) mice were given experimental pulmonary and systemic
Cryptococcus
sp., infections. Our results showed that 5-LO
−/−
mice exhibited reduced pathology and better disease outcomes (i.e., no mortality or signs associated with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis) following pulmonary infection with
C. deneoformans,
despite having detectable yeast in the brain tissues. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice exhibited classical signs associated with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Additionally, brain tissues of 5-LO
−/−
mice exhibited lower levels of cytokines (CCL2 and CCL3) clinically associated with
Cryptococcus
-related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (C-IRIS). In a systemic mouse model of cryptococcosis, 5-LO
−/−
mice and those treated with a Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved 5-LO synthesis inhibitor, zileuton, displayed significantly reduced mortality compared to C57BL/6 infected mice. These results suggest that therapeutics designed to inhibit host 5-LO signaling could reduce disease pathology and mortality associated with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis.

IMPORTANCE

Cryptococcosis is a mycosis with worldwide distribution and has a broad range of clinical manifestations, including diseases of the CNS. Globally, there is an estimated 179,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis, resulting in approximately 112,000 fatalities per annum and 19% of AIDS-related deaths. Understanding how host immune responses are modulated during cryptococcosis is central to mitigating the morbidity and mortality associated with cryptococcosis. Leukotrienes (LTs) have been shown to modulate inflammatory responses during infection. In this study, we show that mice deficient in 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), an enzyme central to the metabolism of arachidonic acid into leukotrienes, exhibit reduced pathology, disease, and neurological signs associated with cryptococcal meningitis. Additionally, mice given an experimental cryptococcal infection and subsequently treated with an FDA-approved 5-LO synthesis inhibitor exhibited significantly reduced mortality rates. These results suggest that therapeutics designed to inhibit host 5-LO activity could significantly reduce pathology and mortality rates associated with cryptococcal meningitis.