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Attenuation of Allergen-, IL-13-, and TGF-α-induced Lung Fibrosis after the Treatment of rIL-15 in Mice.

ABSTRACT: Endogenous IL-15 deficiency promotes lung fibrosis; therefore, we examined the effect of induced IL-15 in restricting the progression of lung fibrosis. Our objective in this work was to establish a novel therapeutic molecule for pulmonary fibrosis. Western blot, qPCR, and ELISA were performed on the lung tissues of IL-15-deficient mice, and recombinant IL-15 (rIL-15)-treated CC10-IL-13 and CC10-TGF-α mice, and allergen-challenged CC10-IL-15 mice were examined to establish the antifibrotic effect of IL-15 in lung fibrosis. We show that endogenous IL-15 deficiency induces baseline profibrotic cytokine and collagen accumulation in the lung, and pharmacological delivery of rIL-15 downregulates Aspergillus antigen-induced lung collagen, the profibrotic cytokines IL-13 and TGF-β1, and α-SMA⁺ and FSP1⁺ cells in mice. To confirm that overexpression of IL-15 diminishes pulmonary fibrosis, we generated CC10-rtTA-tetO7-IL-15 transgenic mice and challenged them with Aspergillus antigen. Aspergillus antigen-challenged, doxycycline (DOX)-treated CC10-IL-15 transgenic mice exhibited decreased collagen accumulation, profibrotic cytokine (IL-13 and TGF-β1) expression, and α-SMA⁺ and FSP1⁺ cells compared with IL-15-overexpressing mice not treated with DOX. Additionally, to establish that the antifibrotic effect of IL-15 is not limited to allergen-induced fibrosis, we showed that rIL-15 or IL-15 agonist treatment restricted pulmonary fibrosis even in CC10-IL-13 and CC10-TGF-α mice. Mechanistically, we show that T-helper cell type 17 suppressor IL-15-responsive RORγ⁺ T regulatory cells are induced in DOX-treated, allergen-challenged IL-15-overexpressing mice, which may be a novel pathway for restricting progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Taken together, our data establishes antifibrotic activity of IL-15 that might be a novel therapeutic molecule to combat the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

SUBMITTER: Upparahalli Venkateshaiah S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6604217 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the final common pathway in end-stage renal disease and is characterized by aberrant accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components secreted by myofibroblasts. Tubular type 2 EMT, induced by TGF-β, plays an important role in renal fibrosis, by participating directly or indirectly in myofibroblasts generation. TGF-β1-induced apoptosis and fibrosis in experimental chronic murine kidney diseases are concomitantly associated with an intrarenal decreased expression of the IL-15 survival factor. Since IL-15 counteracts TGF-β1 effects in different cell models, we analyzed whether (1) human chronic inflammatory nephropathies evolving towards fibrosis could be also characterized by a weak intrarenal IL-15 expression and (2) IL-15 could inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and excess matrix deposition in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTEC). Our data show that different human chronic kidney diseases are characterized by a strong decreased expression of intrarenal IL-15, which is particularly relevant in diabetic nephropathy, in which type 2 tubular EMT plays an important role in fibrosis. Moreover, primary epithelial tubular cultures deprived of growth supplements rapidly produce active TGF-β1 inducing a "spontaneous" EMT process characterized by the loss of membrane-bound IL-15 (mbIL-15) expression. Both "spontaneous" EMT and recombinant human (rh) TGF-β1-induced EMT models can be inhibited by treating RPTEC and HK2 cells with rhIL-15. Through a long-lasting phospho-c-jun activation, IL-15 inhibits rhTGF-β1-induced Snail1 expression, the master inducer of EMT, and blocks TGF-β1-induced tubular EMT and downstream collagen synthesis. In conclusion, our data suggest that intrarenal IL-15 could be a natural inhibitor of TGF-β in human kidney able to guarantee epithelial homeostasis and to prevent EMT process. Thus, both in vivo and in vitro an unbalance in intrarenal IL-15 and TGF-β1 levels could render RPTEC cells more prone to undergo EMT process. Exogenous IL-15 treatment could be beneficial in some human nephropathies such as diabetic nephropathy.

Project description:BackgroundAirway obstruction is a physiologic feature of asthma, and IL-15 might have an important role in asthma pathogenesis.ObjectiveWe tested the hypothesis that regulation of IL-15 is critical for preservation of allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway resistance, and compliance in response to methacholine.MethodsAirway inflammation, AHR, resistance, and compliance were assessed in Il15 gene-deficient mice and IL-15-overexpressing mice in an allergen-induced murine model of asthma. We assessed eosinophil numbers by using anti-major basic protein immunostaining, goblet cell hyperplasia by using periodic acid-Schiff staining, and cytokine and chemokine levels by performing quantitative PCR and ELISA.ResultsWe made a novel observation that IL-15 deficiency promotes baseline airway resistance in naive mice. Moreover, rIL-15 delivery to the lung downregulates expression of proinflammatory cytokines and improves allergen-induced AHR, airway resistance, and compliance. These observations were further validated in doxycycline-inducible CC10-IL-15 bitransgenic mice. Doxycycline-exposed, Aspergillus species extract-challenged CC10-IL-15 bitransgenic mice exhibited significantly reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and decreased goblet cell hyperplasia. Airway obstruction, including AHR and airway resistance, was diminished in allergen-challenged doxycycline-exposed compared with non-doxycycline-exposed CC10-IL-15 bitransgenic mice. Mechanistically, we observed that IL-15-mediated protection of airway obstruction is associated with induced IFN-γ- and IL-10-producing regulatory CD4+CD25+ forkhead box p3 (Foxp3)+ T cells. Additionally, we found that a human IL-15 agonist (ALT-803) improved airway resistance and compliance in an experimental asthma model.ConclusionWe report our novel finding that IL-15 has a potent inhibitory effect on the airway obstruction that occurs in response to environmental allergens.

Project description:BackgroundInterleukin-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is critical for the development and survival of multiple haematopoietic lineages. Mice lacking IL-15 have selective defects in populations of several pro-allergic immune cells including natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells, and memory CD8+ T cells. We therefore hypothesized that IL-15-/- mice will have reduced inflammatory responses during the development of allergic airway disease (AAD).ObjectiveTo determine whether IL-15-/- mice have attenuated allergic responses in a mouse model of AAD.MethodsC57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and IL-15-/- mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), and the development of AAD was ascertained by examining changes in airway inflammatory responses, Th2 responses, and lung histopathology.ResultsHere, we report that IL-15-/- mice developed enhanced allergic responses in an OVA-induced model of AAD. In the absence of IL-15, OVA-challenged mice exhibited enhanced bronchial eosinophilic inflammation, elevated IL-13 production, and severe lung histopathology in comparison with WT mice. In addition, increased numbers of CD4+ T and B cells in the spleens and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were also observed. Examination of OVA-challenged IL-15Rα-/- animals revealed a similar phenotype resulting in enhanced airway eosinophilia compared to WT mice. Adoptive transfer of splenic CD8+ T cells from OVA-sensitized WT mice suppressed the enhancement of eosinophilia in IL-15-/- animals to levels observed in WT mice, but had no further effects.Conclusion and clinical relevanceThese data demonstrate that mice with an endogenous IL-15 deficiency are susceptible to the development of severe, enhanced Th2-mediated AAD, which can be regulated by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the development of disease as well as allergen-specific Th2 responses occurs despite deficiencies in several IL-15-dependent cell types including NK, NKT, and γδ T cells, suggesting that these cells or their subsets are dispensable for the induction of AAD in IL-15-deficient mice.

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Attenuation of Allergen-, IL-13-, and TGF-α-induced Lung Fibrosis after the Treatment of rIL-15 in Mice.

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