Endothelial metabolism in inflammation

Inflammation is essential for the body´s defense against microbes, but is also a hallmark of many chronic and debilitating diseases. Knowledge on how inflammatory processes can be regulated is therefore of great interest to society. There has been a growing appreciation that changes in cellular metabolism are often necessary to allow cellular activation in inflammation. Endothelial cells line the inside of all blood vessels and their activation allows recruitment of immune cells to sites of inflammation. We have observed a dramatic increase in the glycolytic rate of endothelial cells stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines that further contribute to their inflammatory activation. This project is designed to investigate if inhibition of glycolysis also dampens vascular activation and leukocyte recruitment in experimental inflammation. Mice exert no clear signs of discomfort/ pain (still groom, move and exert normal behaviour) but the experiments lead to inflammation (redness/ swelling of the ear flap or leukocyte infiltration in peritoneum) and a mild degree of discomfort must therefore be assumed. To minimize subclinical suffering, animals are observed regularly and prophylactic analgesia is administered where deemed necessary. Our highly competent research team includes a veterinarian with special training in anaesthesia and analgesia, and we have a strong focus on animal welfare when planning and conducting experiments.