Impaired Heat Shock Protein Expression in Activated T Cells in B-Cell Lymphoma

Effect of acupuncture therapy on vaccine-induced immune response in d-galactose-induced aging rats

Objective

This study aimed to explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can enhance the immune response by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA.

Method

Forty Wistar rats were divided into four groups: model immune acupuncture group (A), model immune control group (B), normal immune acupuncture group (C), and normal immune control group (D). Model immune groups A and B were induced by injecting d-galactose for 6 weeks. Rats in groups A and C were then treated with low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Baihui (GV20) and moxibustion for 3 weeks. Subsequently, all rats were observed for 2 more weeks. At the 12th week, diphtheria antitoxin titers were determined using the Vero cell trace neutralization method, CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratios in peripheral blood were examined by flow cytometry, and the relative expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR.

Results

Compared with the normal immune control, the diphtheria antitoxin titer, CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio, and expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA significantly decreased in the model immune control group (P < 0.01). However, the model immune acupuncture group showed a significant increase in antitoxin titer (P < 0.01) and elevated CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio and HSP70 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) after EA and moxibustion intervention.

Conclusion

Acupuncture and moxibustion may enhance the humoral immune response (diphtheria antitoxin titer) and cellular immune response (peripheral blood CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio) by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA, suggesting that acupuncture may serve as a new vaccine adjuvant.

Themis controls T cell activation, effector functions, and metabolism of peripheral CD8+ T cells

Themis is important in regulating positive selection of thymocytes during T cell development, but its role in peripheral T cells is less understood. Here, we investigated T cell activation and its sequelae using a tamoxifen-mediated, acute Themis deletion mouse model. We find that proliferation, effector functions including anti-tumor killing, and up-regulation of energy metabolism are severely compromised. This study reveals the phenomenon of peripheral adaptation to loss of Themis, by demonstrating direct TCR-induced defects after acute deletion of Themis that were not evident in peripheral T cells chronically deprived of Themis in dLck-Cre deletion model. Peripheral adaptation to long-term loss was compared using chronic versus acute tamoxifen-mediated deletion and with the (chronic) dLck-Cre deletion model. We found that upon chronic tamoxifen-mediated Themis deletion, there was modulation in the gene expression profile for both TCR and cytokine signaling pathways. This profile overlapped with (chronic) dLck-Cre deletion model. Hence, we found that peripheral adaptation induced changes to both TCR and cytokine signaling modules. Our data highlight the importance of Themis in the activation of CD8+ T cells.