OBJECTIVE:Investigating the impact and mechanism of trained antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in asthma in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mouse model and discovering targets for treating asthma.
METHODS:BALB/c and C57BL/6 J wild-type mice and TNF-α-/- mice were exposed to OVA. CD11c+CD69+ APCs induced by OVA were re-stimulated by lipopolysaccharide to investigate trained immunity. The effect of histone acetylation in CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs were determined in vivo and in vitro. Epigenetic inhibitors, TNF-α-/- mice, and adoptive transfer were used to explore the development and function of these cells in mice.
RESULTS:OVA induced CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs, which showed stronger responses and lipid metabolic reprogramming characterized by increased acetylcarnitine, a source of acetyl, compared with CD11c+CD69- APCs in mice. CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs showed the histone acetylation marker H3K27achigh. H3K27ac was enriched at the CD69 gene in CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs, which supported CD69 expression. Histone acetyltransferase inhibitor inhibited development of CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs. Functionally, CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs promoted Th2-type response. Adoptively transferred CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs, but not CD11c+CD69- APCs, induced asthma. Inhibition of histone acetyltransferase prevented asthma. Further, TNF-α expression increased in asthmatic mice or patients. H3K27ac maintained TNF-α production in the trained APCs. TNF-α-/- mice showed attenuated asthma, whereas adoptive transfer of the trained APCs restored asthma, suggesting a key role of TNF-α for the function of the trained APCs.
CONCLUSION:We discovered a crucial role of CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs in asthma, and demonstrated that histone acetylation supported CD11c+CD69+ trained APCs to mediate asthma. The result may provide a potential target for the treatment of asthma.