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Lipids have been shown to play important roles in cell homeostasis, cell death, host-pathogen interactions, and cytokine release1. Over time, interest for and knowledge on the impact of lipids in host-pathogen interactions or inflammation have increased, and several publications confirm the central role of certain lipids, especially the steroid cholesterol, in cellular responses. Pharmacological treatment with statins, which are used as inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis by blocking 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzym-A-reductase (HMG-CoA-reductase), can act as anti-inflammatory agents by lowering the serum levels of interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein2. Cholesterol- and glycosphingolipid-enriched structures can be used by several pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, as a gateway into the host3,4,5,6. Sphingolipids (e.g., sphingomyelin) have been shown to be used by pathogens to promote their pathogenicity7. In macrophages, mycobacteria use cholesterol-enriched domains for entering cells; a depletion of cholesterol inhibits mycobacterial uptake8. Furthermore, infection of macrophages with Francisella tularensis, a zoonotic agent responsible for tularemia (also known as rabbit fever)9, led to an infection that was abolished when cholesterol was depleted from the membranes10. Similarly, the invasion of host cells by Escherichia coli via lipid-rich structures was demonstrated to be cholesterol-dependent4. Moreover, Salmonella typhimurium infection experiments of epithelial cells demonstrated that cholesterol is essential for pathogen entry into the cells11. Cholesterol depletion inhibited the uptake of Salmonella11. Furthermore, a recent study by Gilk et al. demonstrated that cholesterol plays an important role in the uptake of Coxiella burnetti12. Additionally, Tuong et al. found that 25-hydroxycholesterol plays a crucial role in phagocytosis by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages13. Phagocytosis was reduced when macrophages were pharmacologically treated to deplete cholesterol14. Thus, cholesterol and other lipids seem to play an important role in infection and inflammation, since their depletion can reduce the risk of invasion from several pathogens10,11,12.
Recently, we were able to show that lipid alterations, especially the depletion of cholesterol from the cell, induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in human blood-derived neutrophils15. Since the discovery of NETs in 2004, they have been shown to play critical roles in bacterial entrapment, and thus in hindering the spread of infection16,17. NETs consist of a DNA backbone associated with histones, proteases, and antimicrobial peptides16. The release of the NETs by neutrophils can be induced by invading pathogens18,19 and chemical substances such as phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA) or statins16,20. However, the detailed cellular mechanisms, and especially the role of lipids in this process, are still not entirely clear. The analysis of lipids can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in a wide variety of cellular processes and interactions, such as the release of NETs. Cholesterol and sphingomyelin are vital constituents of the cell membrane and lipid microdomains, where they add stability and facilitate the clustering of the proteins involved in protein trafficking and signaling events21. To investigate the mechanistic role of certain lipids, amphiphilic pharmacological agents, such as the cyclic oligosaccharide methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), can be used to alter the lipid composition of a cell and to reduce cholesterol in vitro15. Here, we present a method to use HPTLC to analyze the lipid composition of neutrophils in response to MβCD. HPLC was used to confirm the level of cholesterol in the neutrophil population. Furthermore, we describe a method to visualize the formation of NETs by immunofluorescence microscopy in human blood-derived neutrophils in response to MβCD.