Abstract
Acute inflammation normally resolves by mechanisms that have remained somewhat elusive. Emerging evidence now suggests that an active, coordinated program of resolution initiates in the first few hours after an inflammatory response begins. After entering tissues, granulocytes promote the switch of arachidonic acid–derived prostaglandins and leukotrienes to lipoxins, which initiate the termination sequence. Neutrophil recruitment thus ceases and programmed death by apoptosis is engaged. These events coincide with the biosynthesis, from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, of resolvins and protectins, which critically shorten the period of neutrophil infiltration by initiating apoptosis. Consequently, apoptotic neutrophils undergo phagocytosis by macrophages, leading to neutrophil clearance and release of anti-inflammatory and reparative cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β1. The anti-inflammatory program ends with the departure of macrophages through the lymphatics. Understanding these and further details of the mechanism required for inflammation resolution may underpin the development of drugs that can resolve inflammatory processes in directed and controlled ways.
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Acknowledgements
We thank M.H. Small, C. Gilchrist and C. Law for assistance in manuscript preparation, and K. Gotlinger for assistance with the illustrations. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (P50-DE016191 and GM38765 to C.N.S.), the Wellcome Trust (064487 to J.S.) and the Medical Research Council (J.S.).
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Serhan, C., Savill, J. Resolution of inflammation: the beginning programs the end. Nat Immunol 6, 1191–1197 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni1276
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ni1276