Adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells stimulated by Allogeneic Hepatic Stellate Cells mitigates liver injury in mice with concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis.

Regulatory T cell (Treg)-based therapy can effectively control autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) can selectively stimulate allogeneic Treg proliferation following liver transplantation. This study tested the therapeutic effect and potential mechanisms underlying the action of HSC-stimulated Tregs on AIH in a mouse model of Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced AIH. HSC were isolated from BALB/c mice and characterized. Splenic CD4CD25 Tregs were isolated from C57BL/6 mice by immunomagnetic beads. The cells were co-cultured with primary (HSC-0), the second generation of HSC (HSC-2) for 72 h. The proliferation of Tregs was determined by flow cytometry. Similarly, the Tregs were co-cultured with HSC in transwell plates to determine the potential cell-cell contact dependent. The CD4CD25 effector T cells (CFSE-Teffs) were co-cultured with Teff or Tregs in the presence or absence of HSC to determine the suppressive capacity of Tregs. The effects of Tregs or HSC-stimulated Tregs on AIH severity and the frequency of splenic Tregs and Th17 cells were examined in mice. Co-culture with HSC-2 significantly promoted Treg proliferation in a dose- and cell-cell contact-dependent manner, and allogeneic HSC enhanced the suppressive activity of Tregs to inhibit the proliferation of Teff in vitro. Adoptive transfer of Tregs, particularly of HSC-stimulated Tregs, significantly reduced liver injury, inflammation and Ishak modified histology activity index in AIH mice, which were associated with improving the balance of Treg and Th17 cell responses. Our data indicated that mature HSC stimulated allogeneic Treg proliferation in a dose and cell-cell contact-dependent manner, and HSC enhanced the suppressive activity of Tregs to inhibit the proliferation of Teff. Adoptive transfer of HSC-stimulated Tregs significantly reduced liver injury in AIH mice by modulating the balance of Treg and Th17 cell responses.