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Sehnert B, Valero-Esquitino V, Schett G, Unger T, Steckelings UM, Voll RE. Angiotensin AT2 Receptor Stimulation Alleviates Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Upregulation of Regulatory T Cell Numbers. Front Immunol 2022; 13:921488. [PMID: 35874732 PMCID: PMC9304956 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The angiotensin AT2 receptor (AT2R) is a main receptor of the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system and exerts for instance anti-inflammatory effects. The impact of AT2R stimulation on autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not yet known. We investigated the therapeutic potential of AT2R-stimulation with the selective non-peptide AT2R agonist Compound 21 (C21) in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), an animal model for inflammatory arthritis. Arthritis was induced by immunization of DBA/1J mice with collagen type II (CII). Prophylactic and therapeutic C21 treatment alleviates arthritis severity and incidence in CIA. Joint histology revealed significantly less infiltrates of IL-1 beta and IL-17A expressing cells and a well-preserved articular cartilage in C21- treated mice. In CIA, the number of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells significantly increased upon C21 treatment compared to vehicle. T cell differentiation experiments demonstrated increased expression of FoxP3 mRNA, whereas IL-17A, STAT3 and IFN-gamma mRNA expression were reduced upon C21 treatment. In accordance with the mRNA data, C21 upregulated the percentage of CD4+FoxP3+ cells in Treg polarizing cultures compared to medium-treated controls, whereas the percentage of CD4+IL-17A+ and CD4+IFN-gamma+ T cells was suppressed. To conclude, C21 exerts beneficial effects on T cell-mediated experimental arthritis. We found that C21-induced AT2R-stimulation promotes the expansion of CD4+ regulatory T cells and suppresses IL-17A production. Thus, AT2R-stimulation may represent an attractive treatment strategy for arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sehnert
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bettina Sehnert, ; Reinhard Edmund Voll,
| | | | - Georg Schett
- Department of Internal Medicine 3 - Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Unger
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ulrike Muscha Steckelings
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) – Department of Cardiovascular & Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Reinhard Edmund Voll
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) Freiburg, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bettina Sehnert, ; Reinhard Edmund Voll,
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Sehnert B, Pohle S, Heuberger C, Rzepka R, Seidl M, Nimmerjahn F, Chevalier N, Titze J, Voll RE. Low-Salt Diet Attenuates B-Cell- and Myeloid-Cell-Driven Experimental Arthritides by Affecting Innate as Well as Adaptive Immune Mechanisms. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765741. [PMID: 34925335 PMCID: PMC8678127 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A link between high sodium chloride (salt) intake and the development of autoimmune diseases was previously reported. These earlier studies demonstrated exacerbation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and colitis by excess salt intake associated with Th17- and macrophage-mediated mechanisms. Little is known about the impact of dietary salt intake on experimental arthritides. Here, we investigated if salt restriction can exert beneficial effects on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and K/BxN serum transfer-induced arthritis (STIA). CIA depends on both adaptive and innate immunity, while STIA predominantly mimics the innate immune cell-driven effector phase of arthritis. In both models, low salt (LS) diet significantly decreased arthritis severity compared to regular salt (RS) and high salt (HS) diet. We did not observe an aggravation of arthritis with HS diet compared to RS diet. Remarkably, in STIA, LS diet was as effective as IL-1 receptor blocking treatment. Complement-fixing anti-CII IgG2a antibodies are associated with inflammatory cell infiltration and cartilage destruction. LS diet reduced anti-CII IgG2a levels in CIA and decreased the anti-CII IgG2a/IgG1 ratios pointing toward a more Th2-like response. Significantly less inflammatory joint infiltrates and cartilage breakdown associated with reduced protein concentrations of IL-1 beta (CIA and STIA), IL-17 (CIA), and the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (CIA) were detected in mice receiving LS diet compared to HS diet. However, we did not find a reduced IL-17A expression in CD4+ T cells upon salt restriction in CIA. Analysis of mRNA transcripts and immunoblots revealed a link between LS diet and inhibition of the p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/NFAT5 (nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5) signaling axis in STIA. Further experiments indicated a decreased leukodiapedesis under LS conditions. In conclusion, dietary salt restriction ameliorates CIA and STIA, indicating a beneficial role of LS diet during both the immunization and effector phase of immune-mediated arthritides by predominantly modulating the humoral immunity and the activation status of myeloid lineage cells. Hence, salt restriction might represent a supportive dietary intervention not only to reduce cardiovascular risk, but also to improve human inflammatory joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sehnert
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sandy Pohle
- Department of Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Heuberger
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rita Rzepka
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Seidl
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Heinrich-Heine University and University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Falk Nimmerjahn
- Institute of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nina Chevalier
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens Titze
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research and Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Reinhard E. Voll
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) Freiburg, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Neuraminidase Inhibitor Zanamivir Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031428. [PMID: 33572654 PMCID: PMC7867009 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered sialylation patterns play a role in chronic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent studies have shown the pro-inflammatory activities of immunoglobulins (Igs) with desialylated sugar moieties. The role of neuraminidases (NEUs), enzymes which are responsible for the cleavage of terminal sialic acids (SA) from sialoglycoconjugates, is not fully understood in RA. We investigated the impact of zanamivir, an inhibitor of the influenza virus neuraminidase, and mammalian NEU2/3 on clinical outcomes in experimental arthritides studies. The severity of arthritis was monitored and IgG titers were measured by ELISA. (2,6)-linked SA was determined on IgG by ELISA and on cell surfaces by flow cytometry. Zanamivir at a dose of 100 mg/kg (zana-100) significantly ameliorated collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), whereas zana-100 was ineffective in serum transfer-induced arthritis. Systemic zana-100 treatment reduced the number of splenic CD138+/TACI+ plasma cells and CD19+ B cells, which was associated with lower IgG levels and an increased sialylation status of IgG compared to controls. Our data reveal the contribution of NEU2/3 in CIA. Zanamivir down-modulated the T and B cell-dependent humoral immune response and induced an anti-inflammatory milieu by inhibiting sialic acid degradation. We suggest that neuraminidases might represent a promising therapeutic target for RA and possibly also for other antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.
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Cell-Type Targeted NF-kappaB Inhibition for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases. Cells 2020; 9:cells9071627. [PMID: 32640727 PMCID: PMC7407293 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulated NF-k activation is not only involved in cancer but also contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Ideally, therapeutic NF-KappaB inhibition should only take place in those cell types that are involved in disease pathogenesis to maintain physiological cell functions in all other cells. In contrast, unselective NF-kappaB inhibition in all cells results in multiple adverse effects, a major hindrance in drug development. Hitherto, various substances exist to inhibit different steps of NF-kappaB signaling. However, powerful tools for cell-type specific NF-kappaB inhibition are not yet established. Here, we review the role of NF-kappaB in inflammatory diseases, current strategies for drug delivery and NF-kappaB inhibition and point out the “sneaking ligand” approach. Sneaking ligand fusion proteins (SLFPs) are recombinant proteins with modular architecture consisting of three domains. The prototype SLC1 binds specifically to the activated endothelium and blocks canonical NF-kappaB activation. In vivo, SLC1 attenuated clinical and histological signs of experimental arthritides. The SLFP architecture allows an easy exchange of binding and effector domains and represents an attractive approach to study disease-relevant biological targets in a broad range of diseases. In vivo, SLFP treatment might increase therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects.
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Mohamed LA, Markandaiah SS, Bonanno S, Pasinelli P, Trotti D. Excess glutamate secreted from astrocytes drives upregulation of P-glycoprotein in endothelial cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Exp Neurol 2019; 316:27-38. [PMID: 30974102 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), upregulation in expression and activity of the ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) driven by disease advancement progressively reduces CNS penetration and efficacy of the ALS drug, riluzole. Post-mortem spinal cord tissues from ALS patients revealed elevated P-gp expression levels in endothelial cells of the blood-spinal cord barrier compared to levels measured in control, non-diseased individuals. We recently found that astrocytes expressing familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutations regulate expression levels of P-gp in endothelial cells, which also exhibit a concomitant, significant increase in reactive oxygen species production and NFκB nuclear translocation when exposed to mutant SOD1 astrocyte conditioned media. In this study, we found that glutamate, which is abnormally secreted by mutant SOD1 and sporadic ALS astrocytes, drives upregulation of P-gp expression and activity levels in endothelial cells via activation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. Surprisingly, astrocyte-secreted glutamate regulation of endothelial P-gp levels is not a mechanism shared by all forms of ALS. C9orf72-ALS astrocytes had no effect on endothelial cell P-gp expression and did not display increased glutamate secretion. Utilizing an optimized in vitro human BBB model consisting of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we showed that co-culture of endothelial cells with patient-derived astrocytes increased P-gp expression levels and transport activity, which was significantly reduced when endothelial cells were incubated with the NMDAR antagonist, MK801. Overall, our findings unraveled a complex molecular interplay between astrocytes of different ALS genotypes and endothelial cells potentially occurring in disease that could differentially impact ALS prognosis and efficacy of pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loqman A Mohamed
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Shashirekha S Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Silvia Bonanno
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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Sehnert B, Burkhardt H, Finzel S, Dübel S, Voll RE. The sneaking ligand approach for cell type-specific modulation of intracellular signalling pathways. Clin Immunol 2017; 186:14-20. [PMID: 28867254 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Small molecules interfering with intracellular signalling pathways are used in the treatment of multiple diseases including RA. However, small molecules usually affect signalling in most cell types, not only in those which need to be targeted. This general inhibition of signalling pathways causes often adverse effects, which could be avoided by cell type-specific inhibitors. For cell-type specific modulation of signal transduction, we developed the sneaking ligand fusion proteins (SLFPs). SLFPs contain three domains: (1) the binding domain mediating cell type-specific targeting and endocytosis; (2) the endosomal release sequence releasing the effector domain into the cytoplasm; (3) the effector domain modulating signalling. Using our SLFP NF-kappaB inhibitor termed SLC1 we demonstrated that cell-type-specific modulation of intracellular signalling pathways is feasible, that endothelial NF-kappaB activation is critical for arthritis and peritonitis and that SLFPs help to identify disease-relevant pathways in defined cell types. Hence, SLFPs may improve risk-benefit ratios of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sehnert
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Harald Burkhardt
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Fraunhofer IME-Project-Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephanie Finzel
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Reinhard E Voll
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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Wang YL, Gao JM, Xing LZ. Therapeutic potential of Oroxylin A in rheumatoid arthritis. Int Immunopharmacol 2016; 40:294-299. [PMID: 27643663 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Excessive inflammation contributes greatly to the pathogenesis and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Oroxylin A (OA) is a natural anti-inflammatory flavonoid compound. In this study, we investigated the effects of OA on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and human RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). CIA was induced in DBA/1 mice and mice were intraperitoneally treated with OA (10mg/kg) for 10days. Arthritis severity was evaluated every day and the histopathologic examination of joints was done. Serum levels of anti-collagen II antibodies (anti-CII Abs) and cytokines were determined by ELISA. Frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Th17 cells in draining inguinal lymph nodes (ILN) was quantified by flow cytometry. FLS from patients with active RA were treated with varying doses of oroxylin A, followed by stimulation with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (10ng/mL). The production of cytokines was measured by ELISA. Signal transduction proteins were examined by western blot. OA significantly diminished the arthritis and histological damage. Serum anti-CII Abs, IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, and IL-17 were significantly diminished by OA treatment. Analysis of CD4+T cell populations in OA-treated mice showed an increase in Tregs and reduction in Th17 cells in the ILN. In vitro, OA decreased the secretion of IL-1β and IL-6 from TNFα-stimulated RA FLS in a dose-dependent manner. TNFα-induced p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling pathways were suppressed by OA. Our results indicate that OA exerts an anti-inflammatory activity and may have therapeutic potential for human RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ling Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276003, Shandong, China
| | - Ju-Mei Gao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Yishui Central Hospital, Linyi 276400, Shandong, China
| | - Li-Zhi Xing
- Department of Endocrinology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276003, Shandong, China.
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Ghavipour M, Sotoudeh G, Tavakoli E, Mowla K, Hasanzadeh J, Mazloom Z. Pomegranate extract alleviates disease activity and some blood biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. Eur J Clin Nutr 2016; 71:92-96. [DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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