title: Cooperation of invariant NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells in prevention of autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice treated with alpha-galactosylceramide.
abstract: CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are two thymus-derived subsets of regulatory T cells that play an important role in the maintenance of self-tolerance. Yet the functional changes of the two subsets of regulatory T cells in the development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice remain unclear, and how NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells cooperate functionally in the regulation of autoimmune diabetes is also uncertain. We provide evidence that in NOD mice, an animal model of human type 1 diabetes, the functions of both NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells decrease in an age-dependent manner. We show that treatment with alpha-galactosylceramide increases the size of the CD4+CD25+ Treg cell compartment in NOD mice, and augments the expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor and the potency of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells to inhibit proliferation of CD4+CD25- T cells. Our data indicate that NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells might cooperate in the prevention of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice treated with alpha-galactosylceramide. Induced cooperation of NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells could serve as a strategy to treat human autoimmune disease, such as type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Weipeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Neng
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hailiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Fuqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D009765:Obesity / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D005699:Galactosylceramides; C493154:alpha-galactosylceramide