Investigating the role of interleukin-17 in radiation dermatitis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24094-e24094
Author(s):  
Karolina Mieczkowska ◽  
Alana Deutsch ◽  
Beth McLellan ◽  
Rafi Kabarriti ◽  
N. Patrik Brodin ◽  
...  

e24094 Background: Up to 95% of patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) develop radiation dermatitis (RD), which can be therapy-limiting and detrimental to quality of life. Despite its ubiquity, no evidence-based gold standard for the management of RD exists, which highlights the inadequate understanding of its pathogenesis. Prior studies have suggested a role of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 17 (IL-17) in RD pathogenesis. Its pathway is known to be vital in other inflammatory dermatoses and anti-IL-17 antibodies are already in clinical use. Our goal is to mechanistically understand how RT leads to inflammation in the skin and demonstrate that we can inhibit these pathways and effectively manage RD. Methods: To test the effect of irradiation on the IL-17 pathway, mice were anesthetized and flank skin was stretched to form an exposure area. A single dose of 25 Gy was given. Controls were sham-irradiated and subjected to the same anesthesia and skin stretching. Three weeks after irradiation, we analyzed mRNA levels of IL-17 target genes by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, we utilized single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile cells from sham and irradiated skin. To elucidate the role of IL-17, we tested the effect of IL-17A blockade on RD severity in our mouse model. Of note, IL-17A utilizes IL-17 Receptor Type C (IL-17RC) as the membrane-bound receptor in its signaling cascade. Three treatment groups were established: sham receiving no radiation or drug, control receiving saline and radiation, and experimental receiving IL-17A neutralizing antibody and radiation. Mice receiving saline or neutralizing antibody had an intravenous infusion prior to irradiation and weekly thereafter. At the end of week 4, radiated skin was dissected and used for gene expression analysis and histology. To more meticulously study the contribution and requirement of keratinocyte IL-17RC for the development of RD, we generated keratinocyte-specific IL-17RC knockout mice and applied the abovementioned protocol to knockout and control cohorts. RD severity was assessed 8 weeks post irradiation. Results: mRNA levels of S100a8 and S100a9, markers of IL-17 pathway activation, are upregulated in irradiated skin and their expression strongly correlates with increased RD severity ( P < 0.001). From the scRNA-seq, we found that CD103+ dendritic cells and natural killer cells, known immunologic cell types of cutaneous radiation syndrome, were more abundant in irradiated skin. We also identified a novel keratinocyte subtype with abundant IL-17RC mRNA that was exclusive to the irradiated group. Mice receiving IL-17A neutralizing antibody as well as keratinocyte-specific IL-17RC knockout mice, showed a significant reduction in RD severity as compared to controls ( P = 0.0022). Conclusions: The IL-17 pathway plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of RD. Inhibition of this signaling within keratinocytes prevented the development of severe RD in a murine model.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1478
Author(s):  
Jiayin Lu ◽  
Yaoxing Chen ◽  
Zixu Wang ◽  
Jing Cao ◽  
Yulan Dong

Restraint stress causes various maternal diseases during pregnancy. β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) and Forkhead transcription factor class O 1 (FOXO1) are critical factors not only in stress, but also in reproduction. However, the role of FOXO1 in restraint stress, causing changes in the β2-AR pathway in pregnant mice, has been unclear. The aim of this research was to investigate the β2-AR pathway of restraint stress and its impact on the oxidative stress of the maternal uterus. In the study, maternal mice were treated with restraint stress by being restrained in a transparent and ventilated device before sacrifice on Pregnancy Day 5 (P5), Pregnancy Day 10 (P10), Pregnancy Day 15 (P15), and Pregnancy Day 20 (P20) as well as on Non-Pregnancy Day 5 (NP5). Restraint stress augmented blood corticosterone (CORT), norepinephrine (NE), and blood glucose levels, while oestradiol (E2) levels decreased. Moreover, restraint stress increased the mRNA levels of the FOXO family, β2-AR, and even the protein levels of FOXO1 and β2-AR in the uterus and ovaries. Furthermore, restraint stress increased uterine oxidative stress level. In vitro, the protein levels of FOXO1 were also obviously increased when β2-AR was activated in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). In addition, phosphorylated-nuclear factor kappa-B p65 (p-NF-κB p65) and its target genes decreased significantly when FOXO1 was inhibited. Overall, it can be said that the β2-AR/FOXO1/p-NF-κB p65 pathway was activated when pregnant mice were under restraint stress. This study provides a scientific basis for the origin of psychological stress in pregnant women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (38) ◽  
pp. E8035-E8044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung-Hsing Chang ◽  
Che-Jung Kuo ◽  
Takamichi Ito ◽  
Yu-Ya Su ◽  
Si-Tse Jiang ◽  
...  

Casein kinase 1α (CK1α), a component of the β-catenin destruction complex, is a critical regulator of Wnt signaling; its ablation induces both Wnt and p53 activation. To characterize the role of CK1α (encoded byCsnk1a1) in skin physiology, we crossed mice harboring floxedCsnk1a1with mice expressing K14–Cre–ERT2to generate mice in which tamoxifen induces the deletion ofCsnk1a1exclusively in keratinocytes [single-knockout (SKO) mice]. As expected, CK1α loss was accompanied by β-catenin and p53 stabilization, with the preferential induction of p53 target genes, but phenotypically most striking was hyperpigmentation of the skin, importantly without tumorigenesis, for at least 9 mo afterCsnk1a1ablation. The number of epidermal melanocytes and eumelanin levels were dramatically increased in SKO mice. To clarify the putative role of p53 in epidermal hyperpigmentation, we established K14–Cre–ERT2CK1α/p53 double-knockout (DKO) mice and found that coablation failed to induce epidermal hyperpigmentation, demonstrating that it was p53-dependent. Transcriptome analysis of the epidermis revealed p53-dependent up-regulation of Kit ligand (KitL). SKO mice treated with ACK2 (a Kit-neutralizing antibody) or imatinib (a Kit inhibitor) abrogated the CK1α ablation-induced hyperpigmentation, demonstrating that it requires the KitL/Kit pathway. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), a precursor of α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone (α-MSH), was not activated in the CK1α ablation-induced hyperpigmentation, which is in contrast to the mechanism of p53-dependent UV tanning. Nevertheless, acute sunburn effects were successfully prevented in the hyperpigmented skin of SKO mice. CK1α inhibition induces skin-protective eumelanin but no carcinogenic pheomelanin and may therefore constitute an effective strategy for safely increasing eumelanin via UV-independent pathways, protecting against acute sunburn.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ridwan Dwi Saputro ◽  
Hanggoro Tri Rinonce ◽  
Yayuk Iramawasita ◽  
Muhammad Rasyid Ridho ◽  
Maria Fransiska Pudjohartono ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Biomarker mRNA levels have been suggested to be predictors of patient survival and therapy response in melanoma cases. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between the mRNA expression levels of PD-L1 and NKG2A in melanoma tissue and clinicopathologic characteristics and survival in Indonesian patients with primary nodular melanoma. Results Thirty-two tissue samples were analyzed. Upregulated PD-L1 was associated with shorter overall survival (hazard ratio: 2.930; 95% confidence interval: 1.011–8.489, p = 0.048) compared with patients with normoregulated PD-L1. A significant positive correlation was found between the expression levels of PD-L1 and NKG2A (rs: 0.768, p < 0.001). However, no clinicopathologic associations with PD-L1 and NKG2A mRNA levels were statistically proven. Comparison with other studies suggested that the choice of adjuvant therapy and the presence of TILs affect the prognostic role of PD-L1 expression. NKG2A was not proven to be an independent predictive factor but may become an adjunct target for therapy. The strong correlation between PD-L1 and NKG2A suggests that anti-PD-1 and anti-NKG2A agents could be effective in patients with PD-L1 upregulation. The combination of the mRNA levels of these two target genes may provide a novel prognostic and therapeutic direction for immunotherapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (1) ◽  
pp. F23-F29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaxiao Liu ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Qinggang Liu ◽  
Zonglong Wu ◽  
Jianfeng Cui ◽  
...  

The etiology of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is still unknown. Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to play an important role in the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigated the expression and function of GM-CSF in patients with CP/CPPS and in a mouse model of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP). GM-CSF mRNA levels were detected in expressed prostatic secretions samples from patients with CP/CPPS and in prostate tissue from a mouse model of EAP. The expression of GM-CSF receptor in mouse prostate and dorsal root ganglia were determined using PCR and immunohistochemistry. Behavioral testing and inflammation scoring were performed to evaluate the role of GM-CSF in disease development and symptom severity of EAP using GM-CSF knockout mice. mRNA levels of putative nociceptive and inflammatory markers were measured in the prostate after the induction of EAP. Elevated GM-CSF mRNA levels were observed in expressed prostatic secretions samples from patients with CP/CPPS compared with healthy volunteers. GM-CSF mRNA was also significantly increased in prostate tissue of the EAP mice model. The expression of GM-CSF receptors was confirmed in mouse prostate and dorsal root ganglia. GM-CSF knockout mice showed fewer Infiltrating leukocytes and pain symptoms after the induction of EAP. Deletion of GM-CSF significantly diminished EAP-induced increases of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3, and nerve growth factor mRNA expression. The results indicated that GM-CSF plays a functional role in the pathogenesis of EAP. GM-CSF may function as a signaling mediator for both inflammation and pain transduction in CP/CPPS.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (4) ◽  
pp. C1296-C1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua L. Deignan ◽  
Justin C. Livesay ◽  
Lisa M. Shantz ◽  
Anthony E. Pegg ◽  
William E. O'Brien ◽  
...  

The role of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in polyamine metabolism has long been established, but the exact source of ornithine has always been unclear. The arginase enzymes are capable of producing ornithine for the production of polyamines and may hold important regulatory functions in the maintenance of this pathway. Utilizing our unique set of arginase single and double knockout mice, we analyzed polyamine levels in the livers, brains, kidneys, and small intestines of the mice at 2 wk of age, the latest timepoint at which all of them are still alive, to determine whether tissue polyamine levels were altered in response to a disruption of arginase I (AI) and II (AII) enzymatic activity. Whereas putrescine was minimally increased in the liver and kidneys from the AII knockout mice, spermidine and spermine were maintained. ODC activity was not greatly altered in the knockout animals and did not correlate with the fluctuations in putrescine. mRNA levels of ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), antizyme 1 (AZ1), and spermidine/spermine- N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) were also measured and only minor alterations were seen, most notably an increase in OAT expression seen in the liver of AI knockout and double knockout mice. It appears that putrescine catabolism may be affected in the liver when AI is disrupted and ornithine levels are highly reduced. These results suggest that endogenous arginase-derived ornithine may not directly contribute to polyamine homeostasis in mice. Alternate sources such as diet may provide sufficient polyamines for maintenance in mammalian tissues.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (22) ◽  
pp. e2102940118
Author(s):  
Shuiqiao Yuan ◽  
Zhuqing Wang ◽  
Hongying Peng ◽  
Sean M. Ward ◽  
Grant W. Hennig ◽  
...  

Mammalian oviducts play an essential role in female fertility by picking up ovulated oocytes and transporting and nurturing gametes (sperm/oocytes) and early embryos. However, the relative contributions to these functions from various cell types within the oviduct remain controversial. The oviduct in mice deficient in two microRNA (miRNA) clusters (miR-34b/c and miR-449) lacks cilia, thus allowing us to define the physiological role of oviductal motile cilia. Here, we report that the infundibulum without functional motile cilia failed to pick up the ovulated oocytes. In the absence of functional motile cilia, sperm could still reach the ampulla region, and early embryos managed to migrate to the uterus, but the efficiency was reduced. Further transcriptomic analyses revealed that the five messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) encoded by miR-34b/c and miR-449 function to stabilize a large number of mRNAs involved in cilium organization and assembly and that Tubb4b was one of their target genes. Our data demonstrate that motile cilia in the infundibulum are essential for oocyte pickup and thus, female fertility, whereas motile cilia in other parts of the oviduct facilitate gamete and embryo transport but are not absolutely required for female fertility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Moukette ◽  
Tatsuya Aonuma ◽  
Il-man Kim

Background: Cardiac injury is accompanied by dynamic changes in the expression of microRNAs (miRs), which are small noncoding RNAs to downregulate target genes. MiR-125a-5p (miR-125a) is downregulated in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). We reported that miR-125a is upregulated by the β-blocker carvedilol (Carv) acting through β-arrestin1-biased β1-adrenergic receptor (β1AR; receptor found mainly in cardiomyocytes [CMs]) cardioprotective signaling (Figure A). We also showed that pro-apoptotic genes bak1 and klf13 are downregulated by Carv and are upregulated after MI. Here, we hypothesize that miR-125a in CMs favorably regulates cardiac functional and structural remodeling after MI by repressing bak1 and klf13. Methods and Results: Fractionation of cardiac cell types from heart tissues reveals that the expression of miR-125a is higher in CMs than other myocardial cells. Using cultured CM and in vivo approaches, we show that miR-125a is an ischemic stress-responsive protector against CM apoptosis. CMs lacking miR-125a exhibit an increased sensitivity to apoptosis, while CMs overexpressing miR-125a have increased phospho-AKT pro-survival signaling. Moreover, we show that miR-125a is downregulated in post-MI mouse hearts and miR-125a overexpression protects mouse hearts against MI. We also show that global genetic deletion of miR-125a in mice worsens maladaptive post-MI remodeling. Mechanistically, the cardioprotective role of miR-125a during MI is in part attributed to direct repression of the pro-apoptotic genes bak1 and klf13 in CMs (Figure B). Conclusions: These findings reveal a pivotal role for miR-125a in regulating CM survival during MI.


Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (10) ◽  
pp. 3781-3792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mounia Heddad Masson ◽  
Caroline Poisson ◽  
Audrey Guérardel ◽  
Aline Mamin ◽  
Jacques Philippe ◽  
...  

Abstract The Forkhead box A transcription factors are major regulators of glucose homeostasis. They show both distinct and redundant roles during pancreas development and in adult mouse β-cells. In vivo ablation studies have revealed critical implications of Foxa1 on glucagon biosynthesis and requirement of Foxa2 in α-cell terminal differentiation. In order to examine the respective role of these factors in mature α-cells, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against Foxa1 and Foxa2 in rat primary pancreatic α-cells and rodent α-cell lines leading to marked decreases in Foxa1 and Foxa2 mRNA levels and proteins. Both Foxa1 and Foxa2 control glucagon gene expression specifically through the G2 element. Although we found that Foxa2 controls the expression of the glucagon, MafB, Pou3f4, Pcsk2, Nkx2.2, Kir6.2, and Sur1 genes, Foxa1 only regulates glucagon gene expression. Interestingly, the Isl1 and Gipr genes were not controlled by either Foxa1 or Foxa2 alone but by their combination. Foxa1 and Foxa2 directly activate and bind the promoter region the Nkx2.2, Kir6.2 and Sur1, Gipr, Isl1, and Pou3f4 genes. We also demonstrated that glucagon secretion is affected by the combined effects of Foxa1 and Foxa2 but not by either one alone. Our results indicate that Foxa1 and Foxa2 control glucagon biosynthesis and secretion as well as α-cell differentiation with both common and unique target genes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (5) ◽  
pp. G341-G349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoping Wu ◽  
Sonia Yoon ◽  
Yong-Guo Zhang ◽  
Rong Lu ◽  
Yinglin Xia ◽  
...  

Low expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and dysfunction of vitamin D/VDR signaling are reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); therefore, restoration of VDR function to control inflammation in IBD is desirable. Probiotics have been used in the treatment of IBD. However, the role of probiotics in the modulation of VDR signaling to effectively reduce inflammation is unknown. We identified a novel role of probiotics in activating VDR activity, thus inhibiting inflammation, using cell models and VDR knockout mice. We found that the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) increased VDR protein expression in both mouse and human intestinal epithelial cells. Using the VDR luciferase reporter vector, we detected increased transcriptional activity of VDR after probiotic treatment. Probiotics increased the expression of the VDR target genes, such as antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, the role of probiotics in regulating VDR signaling was tested in vivo using a Salmonella-colitis model in VDR knockout mice. Probiotic treatment conferred physiological and histologic protection from Salmonella-induced colitis in VDR+/+mice, whereas probiotics had no effects in the VDR−/−mice. Probiotic treatment also enhanced numbers of Paneth cells, which secrete AMPs for host defense. These data indicate that the VDR pathway is required for probiotic protection in colitis. Understanding how probiotics enhance VDR signaling and inhibit inflammation will allow probiotics to be used effectively, resulting in innovative approaches to the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammation.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (3) ◽  
pp. E602-E613 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. P. Hessvik ◽  
M. V. Boekschoten ◽  
M. A. Baltzersen ◽  
S. Kersten ◽  
X. Xu ◽  
...  

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are important regulators of cholesterol, lipid, and glucose metabolism and have been extensively studied in liver, macrophages, and adipose tissue. However, their role in skeletal muscle is poorly studied and the functional role of each of the LXRα and LXRβ subtypes in skeletal muscle is at present unknown. To study the importance of each of the receptor subtypes, myotube cultures derived from wild-type (WT) and LXRα and LXRβ knockout (KO) mice were established. The present study showed that treatment with the LXR agonist T0901317 increased lipogenesis and apoA1-dependent cholesterol efflux in LXRα KO and WT myotubes but not in LXRβ KO cells. The functional studies were confirmed by T0901317-induced increase in mRNA levels of LXR target genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism in myotubes established from WT and LXRα KO mice, whereas only minor changes were observed for these genes in myotubes from LXRβ KO mice. Gene expression analysis using microarrays showed that very few genes other than the classical, well-known LXR target genes were regulated by LXR in skeletal muscle. The present study also showed that basal glucose uptake was increased in LXRβ KO myotubes compared with WT myotubes, suggesting a role for LXRβ in glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle. In conclusion, LXRβ seems to be the main LXR subtype regulating lipogenesis and cholesterol efflux in skeletal muscle.


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