Further studies are needed to identify the mycobacterial molecules which activate alveolar M with expression of inactive forms of COX-2. This study further confirms thatin vivofactors associated with HK-BCG administration are obligatory for establishing the catalytically inactive form of COX-2 and consequently the regulation of prostaglandin production. after intraperitoneal injection of HK-BCG, peritoneal M containing HK-BCG were no longer detected. At 28 days after intranasal administration, TNF- and nitrite levels in the lung lavage fluid were significantly higher than those in controls. Our results indicate that mycobacterial pulmonary inflammation is associated with suppressed PGE2production by alveolar M, with expression of COX-2 dissociated from the NE. Keywords:alveolar macrophages, PGE2, COX-2, mycobacteria == CLINICAL RELEVANCE == This study investigates the pathophysiology associated with mycobacterial pulmonary inflammation. A novel aspect of alveolar macrophage activation by mycobacteria is the persistent presence of inactive cyclooxygenase isoforms with suppression of prostaglandin E2production. Alveolar macrophages (M) secrete numerous chemical mediators in response toMycobacterium tuberculosisandMycobacterium bovisbacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG), a tuberculosis vaccine and adjuvant, thereby regulating persistent inflammatory responses in the lungs and causing granuloma formation. Granulomatous inflammation represents the pathological correlate of both protective immunity and inflammatory tissue destruction and repair (1,2). Immunoregulatory effects of mycobacteria are demonstrated by increased resistance to infections and tumor growth, attenuation of the allergic response, and induction of autoimmune diseases in animal models (36). The pleiotropic effects of mycobacteria could be mediated by induction in M of not only Th1-mediated microbicidal M responses but also pathogenic Th2, Th17, and Treg responses (79). The exact mechanisms regulating persistent mycobacterial inflammation in alveolar M still remain to be elucidated. Previous studies with M demonstrated that mycobacteria induce expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme, which increases prostaglandin E2(PGE2) biosynthesisin vitro(10,11). PGE2suppresses granuloma formation (12) by down-regulating bactericidal M Fraxetin activities, including iNOS-mediated Tcf4 synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), NADPH oxidase-mediated superoxide anion release, and synthesis of interleukin Fraxetin (IL)-12/IL-18/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- (1315). In contrast, PGE2promotes production of IL-10, IL-23, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 by M (7,8,16,17). Therefore, Fraxetin regulation of these responses at various stages of pulmonary inflammation may depend on the presence of COX-2+M at appropriate locations. Catalytically active COX-2 (and COX-1) are localized subcellularly in the nuclear envelope (NE) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where they mediate PGE2biosynthesis (18,19). COX-2 dissociated from the NE is catalytically inactive (2022). These forms of COX-2 have microscopically distinct cellular appearances and their associated activity in producing PGE2has been established in several studies including this one. Therefore, we have used the designations active or inactive interchangeably with NE associated or NE dissociated, respectively, Previously, Fraxetin we found that normal splenic and peritoneal M treatedin vitrowith heat-killed BCG (HK-BCG) express active COX-2 and release increased amounts of PGE2within 24 hours (20,21). In sharp contrast, within 24 hours after intraperitoneal administration, HK-BCG induces inactive COX-2 transiently in splenic and peritoneal M, followed by active COX-2 in splenic M at 7 to 14 days after administration (20,21). Splenic M with active COX-2 are derived from bone marrow (23). The formation of these COX-2+M subsets seems to be dependent on the microorganism and its phagocytosis, the tissue, and the presence of bone marrowderived precursors which become mature M expressing active COX-2 at inflammatory sites (20,21,23,24). Thus, COX-2+M could potentially either inhibit or promote PGE2-sensitive antimicrobial immunity (7,20,21). We have hypothesized that pulmonary inflammation in response toMycobacteriais directly related to the activity of COX-2. To elucidate the role of M COX-2 in mycobacterial pulmonary inflammation, we administered HK-BCG intranasally and determined whether this resulted in expression of catalytically active or inactive COX-2, and the persistence of the effects on alveolar M for up to 28 days. The Fraxetin pulmonary inflammation induced by mycobacteria was also compared with that induced by other selected microbes and fractionated mycobacterial components. == MATERIALS AND METHODS == == Microbes == CulturedM. bovisBCG Tokyo 172 strain orPropionibacterium acnes(24) were washed, autoclaved, and lyophilized. This HK-BCG or HKP. acnespowder was suspended in pyrogen-free saline at 10 mg/ml and dispersed by brief (10 s) sonication immediately.