Liver X receptor activation promotes differentiation of regulatory T cells

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 19;12(9):e0184985. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184985. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The nuclear receptor Liver X Receptor (LXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that has been implicated in control of chronic inflammation by downregulating pro-inflammatory T cell responses. An impaired function of regulatory T cells, a subset of CD4+ T cells with a crucial role in maintaining lymphocytes homeostasis and immune regulation, is frequently observed in chronic inflammatory diseases. We observed that pharmacological activation of LXR in T cells not only resulted in a thorough suppression of Th1 and Th17 polarization in vitro, but also significantly induced regulatory T cells (Treg) cell differentiation in a receptor-specific fashion. In line with this, systemic LXR activation by oral treatment of mice with the LXR agonist GW3965 induced gut-associated regulatory T cells in vivo. Importantly, such LXR-activated Tregs had a higher suppressive capacity in functional in vitro coculture assays with effector T cells. Our data thus point towards a dual role of LXR-mediated control of inflammation by suppression of pro-inflammatory T cells and reciprocal induction of regulatory T cells.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Benzoates / pharmacology
  • Benzylamines / pharmacology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Cytokines / analysis
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestines / immunology
  • Liver X Receptors / agonists
  • Liver X Receptors / genetics
  • Liver X Receptors / metabolism*
  • Lymph Nodes / drug effects
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*
  • Th1 Cells / cytology
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / cytology
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects
  • Th17 Cells / immunology
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / pharmacology

Substances

  • Benzoates
  • Benzylamines
  • Cytokines
  • GW 3965
  • Liver X Receptors
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the German Research Foundation Grant Number CRC 128 A8 and 704 to LK (http://www.sfbtr128.de/; http://www.limes-institut-bonn.de/forschung/forschungsverbuende/sfb-704/) and the Interdisciplinary center for clinical research (IZKF) Grant Number Kl2/015/14 to LK (https://campus.uni-muenster.de/izkf.html).