title: [Role of the Th17/Treg functional imbalance on the development of atherosclerosis in apo E knockout mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of the helper T cells (Th) 17/Treg cell imbalance on the development of atherogenesis in apo E knockout mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apo E(-/-) mice were examined at age of 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks (n = 10 each). Age matched C57/B6 mice served as controls. The number of Th17, Treg and dendritic cell (DC) was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin(IL)-6, IL-17A and transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1 were detected by ELISA. The suppression ability of Treg was evaluated by mixed lymphocyte reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With increasing ages, the frequencies of Th17 and Treg in CD4(+) T cells were increased (Th17 ratio from 1.00% to 3.14%; Treg ratio from 8.08% to 27.80%) and the level of IL-17A was up-regulated [from (87 ± 15) pg/ml to (191 ± 26) pg/ml], but the rate of Th17/Treg cell and the level of TGF-β1 remained stable during atherogenesis in apo E knockout mice. Furthermore, the phenotype of splenic DC was matured and the blood level of IL-6 was up-regulated [from (43 ± 5) pg/ml to (104 ± 11) pg/ml] with aging in apo E(-/-) mice. Addition of IL-6 to T cells reversed the ability of Treg to suppress the proliferation of effective T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DC overactivation, subsequent increased secretion of IL-6, inhibition of Treg cell function and the Th17/Treg cell imbalance play key roles on the atherogenesis in apo E(-/-) mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yu-lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Min-jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei-feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guo-fan
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; C098680:Il17a protein, mouse; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1