Macrophage FABP4 is required for neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia

Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), an intracellular lipid chaperone and adipokine, is expressed by lung macrophages, but the function of macrophage–FABP4 remains elusive. We investigated the role of FABP4 in host defense in a murine model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Compared with wild‐type (WT) mice, FABP4‐deficient (FABP4−/−) mice exhibited decreased bacterial clearance and increased mortality when challenged in‐tranasally with P. aeruginosa. These findings in FABP4−/− mice were associated with a delayed neutrophil recruitment into the lungs and were followed by greater acute lung injury and inflammation. Among leukocytes, only macrophages expressed FABP4 in WT mice with P. aeruginosa pneumonia. Chimeric FABP4−/− mice with WT bone marrow were protected from increased mortality seen in chimeric WT mice with FABP4−/− bone marrow during P. aeruginosa pneumonia, thus confirming the role of macrophages as the main source of protective FABP4 against that infection. There was less production of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) in FABP4−/− alveolar macrophages and lower airway CXCL1 levels in FABP4−/− mice. Delivering recombinant CXCL1 to the airways protected FABP4−/− mice from increased susceptibility to P. aeruginosa pneumonia. Thus, macrophage‐FABP4 has a novel role in pulmonary host defense against P. aeruginosa infection by facilitating crosstalk between macrophages and neutrophils via regulation of macrophage CXCL1 production.—Liang, X., Gupta, K., Rojas Quintero, J., Cernadas, M., Kobzik, L., Christou, H., Pier, G. B., Owen, C. A., çataltepe, S. Macrophage FABP4 is required for neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. FASEB J. 33,3562–3574 (2019). www.fasebj.org