Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232; and.
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232.
J Immunol. 2018 Oct 1;201(7):1843-1854. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800293. Epub 2018 Aug 20.
As adults, women are twice as likely as men to have asthma; however, the mechanisms explaining this sexual dimorphism remain unclear. Increased type 2 cytokines and/or IL-17A, leading to increased airway eosinophils and neutrophils, respectively, are associated with asthma. Previous studies showed that testosterone, signaling through the androgen receptor (AR), decreased Th2-mediated allergic inflammation and type 2 innate immune responses during allergic inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesized that testosterone and AR signaling attenuate type 2 and IL-17A-mediated airway inflammation. To test our hypothesis, sham-operated and gonadectomized female and male mice were intranasally challenged with house dust mite (HDM) or vehicle (PBS) for 3 wk. Testosterone decreased and ovarian hormones increased HDM-induced eosinophilic and neutrophilic inflammation, IgE production, and airway hyperresponsiveness, as well as decreased the numbers of IL-13 CD4 Th2 cells and IL-17A CD4 Th17 cells in the lung. Next, using wild-type male and female mice and AR male mice that are unable to signal through the AR, we determined AR signaling intrinsically attenuated IL-17A Th17 cells but indirectly decreased IL-13 CD4 Th2 cells in the lung by suppressing HDM-induced IL-4 production. In vitro Th2 and Th17 differentiation experiments showed AR signaling had no direct effect on Th2 cell differentiation but decreased IL-17A protein expression and IL-23R mRNA relative expression from Th17 cells. Combined, these findings show AR signaling attenuated type 2 and IL-17A inflammation through different mechanisms and provide a potential explanation for the increased prevalence of asthma in women compared with men.
作为成年人,女性患哮喘的可能性是男性的两倍;然而,解释这种性别二态性的机制仍不清楚。分别导致气道嗜酸性粒细胞和中性粒细胞增加的 2 型细胞因子和/或 IL-17A 与哮喘有关。先前的研究表明,睾丸激素通过雄激素受体 (AR) 信号传导,可减少过敏炎症期间的 Th2 介导的过敏炎症和 2 型先天免疫反应。因此,我们假设睾丸激素和 AR 信号传导可减弱 2 型和 IL-17A 介导的气道炎症。为了验证我们的假设,对假手术和性腺切除术的雌性和雄性小鼠进行了鼻腔内屋尘螨 (HDM) 或载体 (PBS) 挑战 3 周。睾丸激素降低,而卵巢激素增加了 HDM 诱导的嗜酸性粒细胞和中性粒细胞炎症、IgE 产生和气道高反应性,并减少了肺中 IL-13 CD4 Th2 细胞和 IL-17A CD4 Th17 细胞的数量。接下来,使用野生型雄性和雌性小鼠以及无法通过 AR 进行信号传导的 AR 雄性小鼠,我们确定 AR 信号传导内在地减弱了 IL-17A Th17 细胞,但通过抑制 HDM 诱导的 IL-4 产生,间接地减少了肺中的 IL-13 CD4 Th2 细胞。体外 Th2 和 Th17 分化实验表明,AR 信号传导对 Th2 细胞分化没有直接影响,但降低了 Th17 细胞中 IL-17A 蛋白表达和 IL-23R mRNA 相对表达。综上所述,这些发现表明 AR 信号传导通过不同的机制减弱了 2 型和 IL-17A 炎症,并为女性哮喘患病率高于男性提供了潜在的解释。
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