Exosomal miR-155-5p drives widespread macrophage M1 polarization in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae -induced acute lung injury via the MSK1/p38-MAPK axis

Background Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) infection-induced sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI) has emerged as a significant clinical challenge. Increasing evidence suggests that activated inflammatory macrophages contribute to tissue damage in sepsis. However, the underlying causes of widespread macrophage activation remain unclear. Methods BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with inactivated hvKp (iHvKp) to observe lung tissue damage, inflammation, and M1 macrophage polarization. In vitro, activated RAW264.7 macrophage-derived exosomes (iHvKp-exo) were isolated and their role in ALI formation was investigated. RT-PCR was conducted to identify changes in exosomal miRNA. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to validate MSK1 as a direct target of miR-155-5p. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to explore the specific mechanisms involved. Results iHvKp successfully induced ALI in vivo and upregulated the expression of miR-155-5p. In vivo, injection of iHvKp-exo induced inflammatory tissue damage and macrophage M1 polarization. In vitro, iHvKp-exo was found to promote macrophage inflammatory response and M1 polarization through the activation of the p38-MAPK pathway. RT-PCR revealed exposure time-dependent increased levels of miR-155-5p in iHvKp-exo. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed the functional role of miR-155-5p in mediating iHvKp-exo effects by targeting MSK1. Additionally, inhibition of miR-155-5p reduced M1 polarization of lung macrophages in vivo, resulting in decreased lung injury and inflammation induced by iHvKp-exo or iHvKp. Conclusions The aforementioned results indicate that exosomal miR-155-5p drives widespread macrophage inflammation and M1 polarization in hvKp-induced ALI through the MSK1/p38-MAPK Axis. Graphical Abstract