title: Adoptive transfer of ex vivo immune-programmed NKT lymphocytes alleviates immune-mediated colitis.
abstract: T lymphocyte-expressing natural killer (NK) cell markers (NKT cells) play a role in immune regulation. Our aim was to evaluate the in vivo effect of adoptive transfer of immune-programmed NKT cells. Colitis was induced in C57/B6 mice by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. NKT, CD4, CD8 lymphocytes, and dendritic cells (DC) were prepared from spleens of naive mice, animals with colitis, and animals with colitis that were orally tolerized. Subsets of splenocytes, NKT, CD4, and CD8 and NKT+CD4, NKT+CD8, and NKT+DC lymphocytes were prepared. Assessment of the T helper cell type 1 (Th1)/Th2 cytokine secretion paradigm in vitro was performed before and following exposure to the antigen. Adoptive transfer of ex vivo immune-programmed lymphocytes from each group was performed into recipient mice, followed by colitis induction. Ex vivo exposure of NKT cells harvested from mice with colitis-to-colitis proteins [colitis-extracted proteins (CEP)] led to a Th2 cytokine shift. The interleukin (IL)-4/interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) ratio increased for NKT harvested from colitis-harboring mice following exposure to CEP. Adoptive transfer of NKT lymphocytes harvested from colitis-harboring mice, which were ex vivo-educated, significantly alleviated experimental colitis in vivo. Intrahepatic NKT lymphocytes increased significantly in mice transplanted with NKT lymphocytes harvested from colitis-harboring donor mice, which were ex vivo-exposed to CEP, similar to mice transplanted with NKT lymphocytes harvested from tolerized donors. Exposure of NKT cells to the disease-target antigen induced a significant increase in the IL-4/IFN-gamma cytokine ratio. Adoptive transfer of a relatively small number of immune-programmed NKT cells induced a systemic Th1 to Th2-immune shift and alleviated immune-mediated colitis.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel IL-91120.
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shibolet
authors.forename: Yossef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kalish
authors.forename: Athalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Ruslana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zolotarov
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thalenfeld
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: Elazar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rabbani
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ilan
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid