Project description:Obesity is associated with severe, difficult to control asthma, and increased airway oxidative stress. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) are an important source of oxidative stress leading us to hypothesize that targeting mROS in obese allergic asthma might be an effective treatment strategy. Using a mouse model of house dust mite (HDM) induced allergic airway disease in mice fed a low- (LFD) or high-fat diet (HFD), and the mitochondrial antioxidant MitoQuinone (MitoQ); we investigated the effects of obesity and mROS on airway inflammation, remodelling and airway hyperreactivity (AHR). HDM induces airway inflammation, remodelling and hyperreactivity in both lean and obese mice. Obese allergic mice showed increased lung tissue eotaxin levels, airway tissue eosinophilia and AHR when compared to lean allergic mice. MitoQ reduced markers of airway inflammation, remodelling and hyperreactivity in both lean and obese allergic mice, and tissue eosinophilia in obeseHDM mice. mROS regulates cell signalling by protein oxidation of multiple downstream targets: MitoQ reduced HDM-induced cysteine-sulfenylation of several proteins including those involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR). In summary, mROS mediates the development of allergic airway disease and hence MitoQ might be effective for the treatment for asthma, and specific features of obese asthma.
Project description:We report here the complete genome sequences of Bordetella flabilis and Bordetella bronchialis recovered from cultures of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), and "Bordetella pseudohinzii" recovered from a CF mouse model.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE35979: Gene expression data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mice lungs GSE35980: MicroRNA expression data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mice lungs GSE37079: Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) microarray data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mouse lungs Refer to individual Series
Project description:Background DJ-1 is an antioxidant protein known to regulate mast cell mediated allergic response, but its role in airway eosinophilic interactions and allergic inflammation is not known. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the role of DJ-1 in airway eosinophilic inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Methods Ovalbumin-induced airway allergic inflammation was established in mice. ELISA was adopted to analyze DJ-1 and cytokine levels in mouse bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Transcriptional profiling of mouse lung tissues was conducted by single-cell RNA sequencing technology. The role of DJ-1 in the differentiation of airway progenitor cells into goblet cells was examined by organoid cultures, immunofluorescence staining, quantitative PCR, and cell transplantation in normal, DJ-1 knockout (KO), or conditional DJ-1 KO mice. Results We observed that DJ-1 was increased in the lung tissues of ovalbumin-sensitized and challenged mice. DJ-1 KO mice exhibited reduced airway eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell differentiation. Mechanistically, we discovered that eosinophil-club cell interactions are reduced in the absence of DJ-1. Organoid cultures indicated that eosinophils impair the proliferative potential of club cells. Intratracheal transplantation of DJ-1-deficient eosinophils suppresses airway goblet cell differentiation. Loss of DJ-1 inhibits the metabolism of arachidonic acid into cysteinyl leukotrienes in eosinophils while these secreted metabolites promote airway goblet cell fate in organoid cultures and in vivo. Conclusion DJ-1-mediated interactions between airway epithelial progenitor cells and immune cells are essential in controlling airway goblet cell metaplasia and eosinophilia. Blockade of the DJ-1 pathway is protective against airway allergic inflammation.
Project description:Molecular profiling studies in asthma cohorts have identified a Th2-driven asthma subtype, characterized by elevated lower airway expression of POSTN, CLCA1 and SERPINB2. To assess upper airway gene expression as a potential biomarker for lower airway Th2 inflammation, we assayed upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin in a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls. 23 of 51 asthmatics in our cohort were classified as âTh2 highâ based on lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. Consistent with this classification, âTh2 highâ subjects displayed elevated total IgE and blood eosinophil levels relative to âTh2 lowâ subjects. Upper airway Th2 signature expression was significantly correlated with lower airway Th2 signature expression (r=0.44), with similar strength of association as serum total IgE and blood eosinophils, known biomarkers of Th2 inflammation. In an unbiased genome-wide scan, we identified 8 upper airway genes more strongly correlated with lower airway Th2 gene signature expression (r=0.58), including Eotaxin-3 (CCL26), Galectin-10 (CLC) and Cathepsin-C (CTSC). Asthmatics classified as âTh2 highâ using this 8-gene signature show similar serum total IgE and blood eosinophil levels as âTh2 highâ asthmatics classified using lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. We have identified an 8-gene upper airway signature correlated with lower airway Th2 inflammation, which may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for Th2-driven asthma. Upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial brushings obtained from a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls were profiled by gene expression by microarray. Subjects were assayed for gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin.
Project description:RATIONALE: The development and progression of asthma are strongly influenced by environmental exposures. We have demonstrated that mice exposed to a diet enriched with methyl donors during vulnerable periods of fetal development can enhance the heritable risk of allergic airway disease through epigenetic changes. OBJECTIVES: Since there is conflicting evidence on the role of folate in modifying allergic airway disease risk, we hypothesized that blocking folate metabolism through the loss of methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) activity would reduce the allergic airway disease phenotype. METHODS: Using a house dust mite (HDM) induced model of allergic airway disease, we tested the effect of MTHFR on disease severity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Loss of MTHFR alters single carbon metabolite levels in the lung and serum including elevated homocysteine and cystathionine and reduced methionine. HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice demonstrate significantly less airway hyerreactivity (AHR) compared to HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice compared to HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice have reduced whole lung lavage (WLL) cellularity, eosinophilia, and IL-4/IL-5 cytokine concentrations. The effect of MTHFR loss on HDM-induced allergic airway disease was reversed by betaine supplementation. 737 genes are differentially expressed and 146 regions are differentially methylated in lung tissue from HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice and HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice. Additionally, analysis of methylation/expression relationships identified 503 significant correlations. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings indicate that single carbon metabolism warrants further investigation as a disease modifier in allergic airway disease.
Project description:RATIONALE: The development and progression of asthma are strongly influenced by environmental exposures. We have demonstrated that mice exposed to a diet enriched with methyl donors during vulnerable periods of fetal development can enhance the heritable risk of allergic airway disease through epigenetic changes. OBJECTIVES: Since there is conflicting evidence on the role of folate in modifying allergic airway disease risk, we hypothesized that blocking folate metabolism through the loss of methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) activity would reduce the allergic airway disease phenotype. METHODS: Using a house dust mite (HDM) induced model of allergic airway disease, we tested the effect of MTHFR on disease severity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Loss of MTHFR alters single carbon metabolite levels in the lung and serum including elevated homocysteine and cystathionine and reduced methionine. HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice demonstrate significantly less airway hyerreactivity (AHR) compared to HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice compared to HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice have reduced whole lung lavage (WLL) cellularity, eosinophilia, and IL-4/IL-5 cytokine concentrations. The effect of MTHFR loss on HDM-induced allergic airway disease was reversed by betaine supplementation. 737 genes are differentially expressed and 146 regions are differentially methylated in lung tissue from HDM-treated C57BL/6MTHFR-/- mice and HDM-treated C57BL/6 mice. Additionally, analysis of methylation/expression relationships identified 503 significant correlations. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings indicate that single carbon metabolism warrants further investigation as a disease modifier in allergic airway disease.
Project description:Background: A specific subset of regulatory IL-10 producing B cells has been extensively studied in autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies. These cells are able to constrain exacerbated inflammation by inhibiting T cell mediated responses and maturation of antigen presenting cells. In allergic diseases, observations that increase of regulatory B cells is necessary for allergen tolerance suggest that development of allergic asthma would be associated with a defect in the regulatory B cells compartment. Objective: We sought to (i) characterize regulatory IL-10+ regulatory B cell subset in Balb/c mice by microarray and flow cytometry and (ii) investigate their regulatory capacity in vivo in a house dust mite model of allergic asthma. Results: We identified an IL-10 producing B cells subset able to control T cell proliferation in vitro in both control and asthmatic mice. This subset is decreased in allergic mice. IL-10+ Breg cells express high levels of CD9 and upregulate CD70 and CD73 after activation. Expression of CD9 allows identifying more than 50% of Bregs. Interestingly CD9+ B cells inhibit TH2-TH17 allergic airway inflammation in vivo after adoptive transfer in an IL-10 dependent manner. Conclusions: Herein, we demonstrate that induction of allergic asthma dampens the generation of Bregs contributing to exacerbated airway inflammation. We identified a distinct CD9+ Breg-cell population decreased in lung of HDM mice and able to control asthma and allergic airway inflammation by producing IL-10 after adoptive transfer. This study points B cells as an interesting therapeutic target in allergic asthma. IL-10+ B cells (n=3) and 3 IL-10- B cells (n=3) in control mice + IL-10+ B cells (n=3) and 3 IL-10- B cells (n=3) from asthmatic allergic (HDM) mice