title: Natural killer T (NKT) cells attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by producing interferon-gamma.
abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive illness characterized by interstitial fibrosis. Although the precise mechanism for pulmonary fibrosis is not completely understood, an immune response involving interferon (IFN)-gamma appears to play a role. Therefore, we examined the functional roles of natural killer T (NKT) cells, which produce IFN-gamma and interleukin-4 on activation, in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. In NKT cell-deficient mice, pulmonary fibrosis was worse in terms of histology, hydroxyproline levels, and mortality than in control mice. The transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels were higher in the lung after injecting bleomycin, and blockade of TGF-beta1 by neutralizing monoclonal antibody attenuated the pulmonary fibrosis in CD1d-/- mice. In contrast, the production of IFN-gamma was reduced in lungs from CD1d-/- mice. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of NKT cells into CD1d-/- mice increased IFN-gamma and reduced TGF-beta1 production, attenuating pulmonary fibrosis. An in vitro assay demonstrated that IFN-gamma was involved in suppressing TGF-beta1 production in cells collected from bronchoalveolar lavage. The adoptive transfer of NKT cells from IFN-gamma-/- mice did not reverse pulmonary fibrosis or TGF-beta1 production in lungs of CD1d-/- mice whereas NKT cells from B6 control mice attenuated fibrosis and reduced TGF-beta1 production. In conclusion, IFN-gamma-producing NKT cells play a novel anti-fibrotic role in pulmonary fibrosis by regulating TGF-beta1 production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Immune Regulation in Graduate Program for Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sanghee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Haeng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Weon Seo
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Doo Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin; D001835:Body Weight; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000032:analysis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D001761:Bleomycin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006909:Hydroxyproline