RORγt antagonist suppresses M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-induced Sjögren's syndrome-like sialadenitis.

We showed recently that M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3R)-reactive CD3+ T cells play a pathogenic role in the development of murine autoimmune sialadenitis (MIS), which mimics Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and mechanism of action of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-gamma t (RORγt) antagonist (A213) in MIS. Splenocytes from M3R knockout (M3R-/- ) mice immunized with murine M3R peptide mixture were inoculated into recombination-activating gene 1 knockout (Rag-1-/- ) mice (M3R-/- →Rag-1-/- ) with MIS. Immunized M3R-/- mice (pretransfer treatment) and M3R-/- →Rag-1-/- mice (post-transfer treatment) were treated with A213 every 3 days. Salivary volume, severity of sialadenitis and cytokine production from M3R peptide-stimulated splenocytes and lymph node cells were examined. Effects of A213 on cytokine production were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and on T helper type 1 (Th1), Th17 and Th2 differentiation from CD4+ T cells by flow cytometry. Pretransfer A213 treatment maintained salivary volume, improved MIS and reduced interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17 production significantly compared with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (P < 0·05). These suppressive effects involved CD4+ T cells rather than CD11c+ cells. Post-transfer treatment with A213 increased salivary volume (P < 0·05), suppressed MIS (P < 0·005) and reduced IFN-γ and IL-17 production (P < 0·05). In vitro, A213 suppressed IFN-γ and IL-17 production from M3R-stimulated splenocytes and CD4+ T cells of immunized M3R-/- mice (P < 0·05). In contrast with M3R specific responses, A213 suppressed only IL-17 production from Th17 differentiated CD4+ T cells without any effect on Th1 and Th2 differentiation in vitro. Our findings suggested that RORγt antagonism is potentially suitable treatment strategy for SS-like sialadenitis through suppression of IL-17 and IFN-γ production by M3R-specific T cells.

T-bet over-expression regulates aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated T helper type 17 differentiation through an interferon (IFN)γ-independent pathway.

Various transcription factors are also known to enhance or suppress T helper type 17 (Th17) differentiation. We have shown previously that the development of collagen-induced arthritis was suppressed in T-bet transgenic (T-bet Tg) mice, and T-bet seemed to suppress Th17 differentiation through an interferon (IFN)-γ-independent pathway, although the precise mechanism remains to be clarified. The present study was designed to investigate further the mechanisms involved in the regulation of Th17 differentiation by T-bet over-expression, and we found the new relationship between T-bet and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Both T-bet Tg mice and IFN-γ-/- -over-expressing T-bet (T-bet Tg/IFN-γ-/- ) mice showed inhibition of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt expression and IL-17 production by CD4+ T cells cultured under conditions that promote Th-17 differentiation, and decreased IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) expression and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) phosphorylation in CD4+ T cells. The mRNA expression of ahr and rorc were suppressed in CD4+ T cells cultured under Th-17 conditions from T-bet Tg mice and T-bet Tg/IFN-γ-/- mice. CD4+ T cells of wild-type (WT) and IFN-γ-/- mice transduced with T-bet-expressing retrovirus also showed inhibition of IL-17 production, whereas T-bet transduction had no effect on IL-6R expression and STAT-3 phosphorylation. Interestingly, the mRNA expression of ahr and rorc were suppressed in CD4+ T cells with T-bet transduction cultured under Th17 conditions. The enhancement of interleukin (IL)-17 production from CD4+ T cells by the addition of AHR ligand with Th17 conditions was cancelled by T-bet over-expression. Our findings suggest that T-bet over-expression-induced suppression of Th17 differentiation is mediated through IFN-γ-independent AHR suppression.