Endocrine-immune-reproductive System Interactions

我们进行了几组实验来研究内分泌和免疫系统之间的相互作用。首先，应激激素糖皮质激素和儿茶酚胺抑制白细胞介素(IL)-12的分泌，并刺激单核巨噬细胞分泌IL-10，导致从Th1定向免疫转向th2定向免疫。这些激素还影响新发现的t细胞系Th17和T-reg的发育和功能，其中T-reg最近被证明在自身免疫性疾病的发病机制中起主要作用。另一方面，一些免疫系统产物，如细胞因子肿瘤坏死因子- α (tnf - α)， IL-1和IL-6，激活下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴，并通过它抑制和抑制炎症免疫反应。微灌注原位检测的人脂肪不仅产生瘦素，还产生tnf - α和IL-6。这些细胞因子的分泌具有受睡眠影响的昼夜节律，而它们的循环水平与BMI成比例地增加，并因内脏肥胖而进一步升高。我们之前的研究表明，两种小分子IL-6拮抗剂和ppar - δ激动剂通过抑制STAT3具有很强的抗炎活性。前一种化合物TB-2-081与IL-6型受体的gp130亚基相互作用，不仅阻断IL-6的活性，还阻断白血病抑制因子、肿瘤抑制素M和IL-11的活性。细胞的主要变化是STAT3转录因子酪氨酸磷酸化的抑制。后一种化合物GW50516可抑制肝细胞产生几种急性期反应物，因此具有重要的抗炎活性。这种效应也可以通过抑制STAT3在应答基因启动子上的活性来介导。

We have performed several lines of experiments to examine the interactions between the endocrine and immune systems. First, the stress hormones glucocorticoids and catecholamines inhibit the secretion of Interleukin (IL)-12 and stimulate the secretion of IL-10 by monocytes macrophages, leading to a shift from Th1- to Th2-directed immunity. These hormones also influence development and functions of newly identified T-cell lineages, Th17 and T-reg, the former of which was recently shown to play a major role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. On the other hand, several immune system products, such as the cytokines Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1, and IL-6, activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and through it suppress and restrain the inflammatory immune response. Human fat examined in situ by microperfusion produces not only leptin, but also TNF-alpha and IL-6. The secretion of these cytokines has a circadian rhythm that is influenced by sleep, while their circulating levels increase proportionally to the BMI and are further elevated by visceral adiposity. We previously showed that two small molecules an IL-6 antagonist and a PPAR-delta agonist have strong anti-inflammatory activities via STAT3 inhibition. The former compound, TB-2-081, interacted with the gp130 subunit of the IL-6-type receptors and blocked the activity not only of IL-6 but also of the leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M and IL-11. A major change in the cell was the inhibition of the tyrosine phosphorylation of the STAT3 transcription factor. The latter compound, GW50516, inhibited the production of several acute phase reactants by hepatic cells showing thus major anti-inflammatory activity. This effect was also mediated by inhibition of STAT3 activity at the promoter of responsive genes. Viruses, including the human immunodeficiency syndrome type-1 (HIV-1), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Newcastle disease (NDV) viruses, are potent activators and modulators of the host immune and endocrine systems, influencing hormonal actions in host tissues, such as leukocytes, adipose tissue and skeletal muscles. These effects further contribute to viral expansion and pathogenesis. Indeed, we demonstrated that HIV-1 accessory molecule Vpr suppresses PPAR-gamma activity playing a potentially important role in the development of the characteristic AIDS-associated lipodystrophy and insulin-resistance syndrome. In dendritic cells (DCs), which play a central role in the recognition and presentation of viral antigens, infection of CMV or NDV and perhaps HIV-1, causes dramatic changes in the expression of a group of nuclear hormone receptors, including the glucocorticoid and estrogen receptors, as well as of several transcriptional co-regulators, such as p300 and p160-type histone acetyltransferase coactivators, possibly altering secretion/production of interferons and other cytokines by these cells. We have written one manuscript based on the results obtained in the mRNA expression profiling of nuclear hormone receptors and coregulators, and have recently submitted it to a journal. Since NOR1, one member of NR4A group nuclear receptors, was the most highly regulated NR upon viral infection in DCs, we obtained NOR1 knockout mice from Dr. Conneely, the Baylor collage of medicine, and has examined impact of viral infection to interferon and cytokine production in DCs purified from NOR1 knockout mice. We found that DCs from these mice showed a significant defect in the cytokine response (interferon alpha/beta and interleukine 12) compared to those from wild type mice. We further performed animal studies in which we infected/treated these mice with CMV or the chemical compounds stimulating the toll-like receptors, and found that NOR1 knockout mice showed attenuated immune response to these agents. In the same line of experiments, we found that CMV and NDV stimulated IL-10 expression in DCs, and glucocorticoids further potentiated such virus-induced expression of this cytokine. Since IL-10 inhibits synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and has ability to suppress antigen presentation by DCs and monocytes, synergistic activation of IL-10 by glucocorticoids may explain why exposure to stress and subsequent activation of the HPA axis increases susceptibility to viral infection, and possibly, subsequent development of viral-associated disorders, such as asthma, atherosclerosis and caners. Extracellular hyperosmolarity or osmotic stress is a major threat for land organisms, and thus strongly stimulates HPA axis through secretion of ariginine vasopression from the hypothalamus/posterior lobe of the pituitary gland. In addition to this systemic response, osmotic stress also activates a cellular signaling cascade called adaptive response to extracellular hyperosmolarity: Extracellular hyperosmolarity induces and activates a Rel-homology domain-containing transcription factor, the nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5), which subsequently stimulates transcription of osmotic stress-responsive genes and causes intracellular accumulation of small organic osmolytes to maintain isotonicity between the inside and outside of the cells. We previously reported an intracellular signaling cascade responsive to osmotic stress in lymphocytes: The Rho-type guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Brx or AKAP13 is essential for the osmotic stress-stimulated expression of NFAT5, and is a key component of the intracellular signaling cascade transmitting the extracellular hyperosmolarity signal to the nucleus. Osmotic stress-mediated induction of NFAT5 requires the Brx GEF domain and p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK), while Brx in response to osmotic stress attracts through its C-terminal domain the cJun kinase (JNK)-interacting protein (JIP) 4, a scaffold specific to activation of the p38 MAPK cascade and NFAT5, coupling activated Rho-type small G proteins to components of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Importantly, this signaling system plays a critical role in the differentiation of lymphocytes in the spleen and stimulates production of TNF-alpha and other cytokines. Osmotic stress-mediated activation of this cellular signaling system may also be an important component in immune dysregulation observed in some pathologic conditions accompanied by plasma hyperosmolarity, such as diabetes mellitus, uremia, dehydration and severe burn all of which are known to develop altered cytokine production and immune-associated symptoms/signs. To further elucidate roles of Brx/NFAT5-mediated osmotic stress on the regulation of the immune system, we are now developing mice carrying specific deletion of the brx gene in DCs/monocytes/macrophages using the Cre/LoxP system. We published in this year a landmark review manuscript discussing the adaptive response to extracellular hyperosmolarity and its implications to physiology and pathophysiology.