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He J, Zhang J, Liao X, Xiao Y, Li J, Zheng Z, Chen D, Chen J. Upregulation of PD-1/PD-L1 and downregulation of immune signaling pathways lead to more severe visceral leishmaniasis in undernutrition mice. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:8. [PMID: 38185681 PMCID: PMC10773036 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical developing countries, where chronic undernutrition often co-exists. Undernutrition is reported to promote the progression of leishmaniasis, but its immune mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. METHODS To simulate chronic undernutrition of patients in epidemic areas and explore the immune mechanism of undernutrition promoting leishmaniasis, BALB/c mouse models with different nutritional imbalances were established, including undernutrition 75%, undernutrition 65% and obesity mouse models. After infection with Leishmania donovani in these model mice, we focused on evaluating the progress of leishmaniasis in the spleen and liver, the expression of important immunosuppressive and immunoactivation molecules, and changes of spleen transcriptome. The immune signaling pathways enriched by differentially expressed genes and hub genes were analyzed. RESULTS The results showed that among the mouse infection models, undernutrition 75% + infection group had the highest parasite load in the spleen and liver at the 8th week post-infection, possibly due to the continuous increase of PD-1, PD-L1 and TCR. Spleen RNA-seq results suggested that some immune signaling pathways were downregulated in undernutrition 75% + infection group, including neutrophil extracellular trap formation, IL-17 signaling pathway, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, etc. Among them, neutrophil extracellular trap formation pathway had the largest number of downregulated genes. This also explained why undernutrition 75% + infection group had the highest parasite load. Through PPI network analysis, hub genes such as Lcn2, Ltf, Mpo, Dnaja1, Hspa1a, Hspa1b and Hsph1 were screened out and might play important roles in the process of undernutrition promoting leishmaniasis. CONCLUSIONS Undernutrition upregulated PD-1 and PD-L1 expression and downregulated immune signaling pathways in mice with visceral leishmaniasis. The signaling pathways and hub genes may serve as drug targets or intervention targets for the treatment of leishmaniasis patients with undernutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlei He
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianhui Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuechun Liao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuying Xiao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiao Li
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiwan Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dali Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jianping Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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He J, Huang F, Liao X, Zhang J, Wei S, Xiao Y, Zheng X, Zhu Z, Chen D, Chen J. TLR9 agonist CpG ODN 2395 promotes the immune response against Leishmania donovani in obesity and undernutrition mice. Acta Trop 2023; 242:106921. [PMID: 37030488 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
As important immunomodulators, CpG ODNs have broad application prospects in the treatment and prevention of leishmaniasis. In order to explore the immunomodulatory effect of CpG ODNs on mice infected with Leishmania parasites in different nutritional status, TLR9 agonist CpG ODN 2395 or TLR9 antagonist CpG ODN 2088 was injected into normal, obesity and undernutrition BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania donovani, respectively. Subsequently, spleen and liver parasite loads, spleen and liver immune gene expression, spleen T cell subsets proportion and PD-1 expression, serum lipids, serum cytokines, and anti-Leishmania antibodies were measured to assess the immune response of mice with different nutritional status. The results displayed that at the 8th week after infection, the spleen parasite load of obesity and undernutrition mice was significantly higher than that of normal mice, but the liver parasite load showed no statistical difference among the three groups. The treatment of CpG ODN 2395 or CpG ODN 2088 significantly reduced the spleen parasite load of obesity and undernutrition infected mice, but did not reduce that of normal infected mice. In obesity infected mice, CpG ODN 2395 promoted the up-regulation of TCR, ICOS and TLR4 in spleen, promoted the secretion of IFN-γ and anti-Leishmania total IgG and IgG1 antibodies, and increased the content of serum HDL-C. In undernutrition infected mice, CpG ODN 2395 promoted the up-regulation of spleen CD28 and TLR9, increased the proportion of spleen CD3+ T cells, and decreased the content of serum IL-10. Our results demonstrated that CpG ODN 2395 enhanced the immune response and clearance of Leishmania parasites in obesity and undernutrition mice, which might be used as a therapeutic agent for obesity and undernutrition leishmaniasis patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlei He
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fan Huang
- First Surgical Department, Chengdu Shuangliu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuechun Liao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianhui Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shulan Wei
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuying Xiao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zheying Zhu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dali Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jianping Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Savino W, Durães J, Maldonado-Galdeano C, Perdigon G, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Cuervo P. Thymus, undernutrition, and infection: Approaching cellular and molecular interactions. Front Nutr 2022; 9:948488. [PMID: 36225882 PMCID: PMC9549110 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.948488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Undernutrition remains a major issue in global health. Low protein-energy consumption, results in stunting, wasting and/or underweight, three deleterious forms of malnutrition that affect roughly 200 million children under the age of five years. Undernutrition compromises the immune system with the generation of various degrees of immunodeficiency, which in turn, renders undernourished individuals more sensitive to acute infections. The severity of various infectious diseases including visceral leishmaniasis (VL), influenza, and tuberculosis is associated with undernutrition. Immunosuppression resulting from protein-energy undernutrition severely impacts primary and secondary lymphoid organs involved in the response to related pathogens. The thymus—a primary lymphoid organ responsible for the generation of T lymphocytes—is particularly compromised by both undernutrition and infectious diseases. In this respect, we will discuss herein various intrathymic cellular and molecular interactions seen in undernutrition alone or in combination with acute infections. Many examples illustrated in studies on humans and experimental animals clearly revealed that protein-related undernutrition causes thymic atrophy, with cortical thymocyte depletion. Moreover, the non-lymphoid microenvironmental compartment of the organ undergoes important changes in thymic epithelial cells, including their secretory products such as hormones and extracellular matrix proteins. Of note, deficiencies in vitamins and trace elements also induce thymic atrophy. Interestingly, among the molecular interactions involved in the control of undernutrition-induced thymic atrophy is a hormonal imbalance with a rise in glucocorticoids and a decrease in leptin serum levels. Undernutrition also yields a negative impact of acute infections upon the thymus, frequently with the intrathymic detection of pathogens or their antigens. For instance, undernourished mice infected with Leishmania infantum (that causes VL) undergo drastic thymic atrophy, with significant reduction in thymocyte numbers, and decreased levels of intrathymic chemokines and cytokines, indicating that both lymphoid and microenvironmental compartments of the organ are affected. Lastly, recent data revealed that some probiotic bacteria or probiotic fermented milks improve the thymus status in a model of malnutrition, thus raising a new field for investigation, namely the thymus-gut connection, indicating that probiotics can be envisioned as a further adjuvant therapy in the control of thymic changes in undernutrition accompanied or not by infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Savino
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Wilson Savino, ,
| | - Jonathan Durães
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Leishmaniasis Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carolina Maldonado-Galdeano
- Laboratory of Immunology, Reference Center for Lactobacilli Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CERELA-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, National University of Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Perdigon
- Laboratory of Immunology, Reference Center for Lactobacilli Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CERELA-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, National University of Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Cuervo
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Leishmaniasis Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Patricia Cuervo, ,
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