Department of Basic Medicine, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, China.
Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev. 2024 Nov;40(3):3007-3017. doi: 10.1080/02648725.2023.2203002. Epub 2023 Apr 21.
We investigate the role and mechanism of imbalance via Th9 cells and Th17/Treg cells in the inflammatory and fibrotic phases of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. A total of mice were split into normal saline (control group) and inflammation and fibrosis mouse models (study group) randomly, and lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obtained from mice at the inflammatory and fibrotic phases on the 7th and 28th day, respectively. The degenerative changes in the mouse lung tissue were then visible using H&E staining. The expression of CCR6 and IL-9 in the lung tissues of two groups was examined through an immunohistochemistry assay. Fluorescence PCR was used to assess the expression of PU.1 mRNA in BALF, and flow cytometry was performed to identify the expression of Th17 and Treg. (1). The level of pulmonary fibrosis and lung inflammation in the research group was significantly higher than in the control group. (2). The expression of Th17, CCR6, IL-9 and PU.1 mRNA was substantially higher (P<0.05) in the research group at different time points; the expression level of Treg cells was considerably lower (P<0.05) in the research group than in the control group. (3). CCR6, IL-9 and PU.1 mRNA levels were statistically directly associated (P<0.05) with Th17 and inversely correlated 40 with Regulatory T cells (Tregs). CCR6 and Th9 cells may be involved in 45 developing Th17/Treg imbalance in the immune inflammation of pulmonary fibrosis, which promotes fibrocyte proliferation in lung tissue.
我们研究了失衡通过 Th9 细胞和 Th17/Treg 细胞在小鼠肺纤维化的炎症和纤维化阶段的作用和机制。将总共的小鼠随机分为生理盐水（对照组）和炎症和纤维化小鼠模型（研究组），并分别在第 7 天和第 28 天获得炎症和纤维化阶段的小鼠的肺组织和支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）。使用 H&E 染色观察小鼠肺组织的退行性变化。通过免疫组织化学检测两组肺组织中 CCR6 和 IL-9 的表达。荧光 PCR 评估 BALF 中 PU.1 mRNA 的表达，流式细胞术鉴定 Th17 和 Treg 的表达。（1）研究组的肺纤维化和肺炎症程度明显高于对照组。（2）研究组不同时间点 Th17、CCR6、IL-9 和 PU.1 mRNA 的表达明显升高（P<0.05）；研究组 Treg 细胞的表达水平明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。（3）CCR6、IL-9 和 PU.1 mRNA 水平与 Th17 呈统计学正相关（P<0.05），与调节性 T 细胞（Tregs）呈负相关（P<0.05）。CCR6 和 Th9 细胞可能参与肺纤维化免疫炎症中 Th17/Treg 失衡的发展，促进肺组织中成纤维细胞的增殖。
