Michel Rauch

Interleukin-33 overexpression is associated with liver fibrosis in mice and humans

Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33), the most recently identified member of the IL‐1 family, induces synthesis of T Helper 2 (Th2)‐type cytokines via its heterodimeric ST2/IL‐1RAcP receptor. Th2‐type cytokines play an important role in fibrosis; thus, we investigated the role of IL‐33 in liver fibrosis. IL‐33, ST2 and IL‐1RAcP gene expression was analysed in mouse and human normal (n= 6) and fibrotic livers (n= 28), and in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n= 22), using real‐time PCR. IL‐33 protein was detected in normal and fibrotic liver sections and in isolated liver cells using Western blotting and immunolocalization approaches. Our results showed that IL‐33 and ST2 mRNA was overproduced in mouse and human fibrotic livers, but not in human HCC. IL‐33 expression correlated with ST2 expression and also with collagen expression in fibrotic livers. The major sources of IL‐33 in normal liver from both mice and human beings are the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and, in fibrotic liver, the activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Moreover, IL‐33 expression was increased in cultured HSC when stimulated by pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, IL‐33 is strongly associated with fibrosis in chronic liver injury and activated HSC are a source of IL‐33.

Infection with Influenza Virus Induces IL-33 in Murine Lungs

IL-33, a novel IL-1 family member, is crucially expressed and involved in pulmonary diseases, but its regulation in viral diseases such as influenza A virus (IAV) remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the expression and release of IL-33 in lungs of IAV-infected mice in vivo and in murine respiratory epithelial cells (MLE-15) in vitro. Our results provide evidence of up-regulation of IL-33 mRNA in IAV-infected murine lungs, compared with noninfected control mice. The overexpression of IL-33 was positively correlated with a significant increase in mRNA encoding the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6, and was also associated with an increase in IFN-β mRNA. A profound overexpression of IL-33 protein was evident in IAV-infected murine lungs and bronchoalveolar lavages of influenza-infected mice, compared with low concentrations in naive lungs in vivo. Immunolocalization highlighted the cellular expression of IL-33 in alveolar epithelial and endothelial cells, along with increased infiltrate cells in virus-infected lungs. Further in vitro experiments showed an induction of IL-33 transcript-in MLE-15 cells and human epithelial cells (A549) infected with different strains of IAV in comparison with noninfected cells. In conclusion, our findings evidenced a profound expression of IL-33 in lungs during both in vivo and in vitro IAV infections, suggesting a role for IL-33 in virus-induced lung infections.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Host Immune and Cell Death Responses Associated with the Influenza A Virus PB1-F2 Protein

Airway inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of influenza viruses and can lead to a fatal outcome. One of the challenging objectives in the field of influenza research is the identification of the molecular bases associated to the immunopathological disorders developed during infection. While its precise function in the virus cycle is still unclear, the viral protein PB1-F2 is proposed to exert a deleterious activity within the infected host. Using an engineered recombinant virus unable to express PB1-F2 and its wild-type homolog, we analyzed and compared the pathogenicity and host response developed by the two viruses in a mouse model. We confirmed that the deletion of PB1-F2 renders the virus less virulent. The global transcriptomic analyses of the infected lungs revealed a potent impact of PB1-F2 on the response developed by the host. Thus, after two days post-infection, PB1-F2 invalidation severely decreased the number of genes activated by the host. PB1-F2 expression induced an increase in the number and level of expression of activated genes linked to cell death, inflammatory response and neutrophil chemotaxis. When generating interactive gene networks specific to PB1-F2, we identified IFN-γ as a central regulator of PB1-F2-regulated genes. The enhanced cell death of airway-recruited leukocytes was evidenced using an apoptosis assay, confirming the pro-apoptotic properties of PB1-F2. Using a NF-kB luciferase adenoviral vector, we were able to quantify in vivo the implication of NF-kB in the inflammation mediated by the influenza virus infection; we found that PB1-F2 expression intensifies the NF-kB activity. Finally, we quantified the neutrophil recruitment within the airways, and showed that this type of leukocyte is more abundant during the infection of the wild-type virus. Collectively, these data demonstrate that PB1-F2 strongly influences the early host response during IAV infection and provides new insights into the mechanisms by which PB1-F2 mediates virulence.

NKT cells are required to induce high IL-33 expression in hepatocytes during ConA-induced acute hepatitis

Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33) is thought to be released during cellular death as an alarmin cytokine during the acute phase of disease, but its regulation in vivo is poorly understood. We investigated the expression of IL‐33 in two mouse models of acute hepatitis by administering either carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or concanavalin A (ConA). IL‐33 was overexpressed in both models but with a stronger induction in ConA‐induced hepatitis. IL‐33 was weakly expressed in vascular and sinusoidal endothelial cells from normal liver and was clearly induced in CCl4‐treated mice. Surprisingly, we found that hepatocytes strongly expressed IL‐33 exclusively in the ConA model. CD1d knock‐out mice, which are deficient in NKT cells and resistant to ConA‐induced hepatitis, no longer expressed IL‐33 in hepatocytes following ConA administration. Interestingly, invariant NKT (iNKT) cells adoptively transferred into ConA‐treated CD1d KO mouse restored IL‐33 expression in hepatocytes. This strongly suggests that NKT cells are responsible for the induction of IL‐33 in hepatocytes.

TRAIL but not FasL and TNFα, regulates IL‐33 expression in murine hepatocytes during acute hepatitis

Interleukin (IL)‐33, a member of the IL‐1 cytokine family, positively correlates with acute hepatitis and chronic liver failure in mice and humans. IL‐33 is expressed in hepatocytes and is regulated by natural killer T (NKT) cells during concanavalin A (ConA)‐induced acute liver injury. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the expression of IL‐33 during acute hepatitis. The expression of IL‐33 and its regulation by death receptor pathways was investigated after the induction of ConA‐acute hepatitis in wildtype (WT), perforin−/−, tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)−/−, and NKT cell‐deficient (CD1d−/−) mice. In addition, we used a model of acute liver injury by administering Jo2/Fas‐antibody or D‐galactosamine‐tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in WT mice. Finally, the effect of TRAIL on IL‐33 expression was assessed in primary cultured murine hepatocytes. We show that IL‐33 expression in hepatocytes is partially controlled by perforin during acute liver injury, but not by TNFα or Fas ligand (FasL). Interestingly, the expression of IL‐33 in hepatocytes is blocked during ConA‐acute hepatitis in TRAIL‐deficient mice compared to WT mice. In contrast, administration of recombinant murine TRAIL associated with ConA‐priming in CD1d‐deficient mice or in vitro stimulation of murine hepatocytes by TRAIL but not by TNFα or Jo2 induced IL‐33 expression in hepatocytes. The IL‐33‐deficient mice exhibited more severe ConA liver injury than WT controls, suggesting a protective effect of IL‐33 in ConA‐hepatitis. Conclusion: The expression of IL‐33 during acute hepatitis is dependent on TRAIL, but not on FasL or TNFα. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)

Expression of Estrogen Receptor ESR1 and Its 46-kDa Variant in the Gubernaculum Testis

Abstract Testicular descent corresponds to migration of the testis from the abdominal cavity to the scrotum and is essential for proper functioning of the testis. Recent advances in the characterization of estrogen receptor (ESR) subtypes and isoforms in various tissues prompted us to study ESRs within the gubernaculum testis, a structure involved in testicular descent. In the rat gubernaculum, we searched for ESR alpha (Esr1) and beta (Esr2) and for the androgen receptor (Ar), androgens being known to regulate testicular descent. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that Esr1, Esr2, and Ar mRNAs were all expressed in the gubernaculum. Using PEETA (Primer extension, Electrophoresis, Elution, Tailing, and Amplification), we established that all Esr1 leader exons, previously identified in other organs, such as the uterus and pituitary, were transcribed in the gubernaculum, with the major form being O/B. The RNA protection assays, RT-PCR, and Western blot experiments revealed that isoform-specific mRNA transcripts generated by alternative splicing of the C-leader sequence on coding exons 1 and 2 of the Esr1 gene gave the 46- and 66-kDa ESR1 proteins. The ESR1 and AR proteins were found to colocalize in the parenchymal cells of the gubernaculum early in development, whereas AR also was strongly expressed in the muscular cells, both during fetal and postnatal life. The ESR2 protein was weakly expressed, principally in the muscular cells, but only once testicular descent had occurred. The levels of the 46-kDa ESR1 variant (ER46) exceeded those of the 66-kDa ESR1 form (ER66) at periods when the gubernaculum developed. Conversely, the 66-kDa form appears to predominate clearly when the gubernaculum growth was low or completed. The possible role of estrogens on the modulation of the androgen-dependent growth of the gubernaculum and, more widely, on testicular descent is discussed.

GATA-1 is a potential repressor of anti-Müllerian hormone expression during the establishment of puberty in the mouse.

Anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH), also known as Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS), is one of the earliest and best‐known markers of Sertoli cell differentiation and is expressed until around puberty. The present study is aimed at the better understanding of the molecular pathways involved in testicular development and establishment of adult functions with regards to AMH regulation. We found, within the mouse AMH promoter, putative GATA motifs (A/T)GATA(A/G), known to be specifically bound by members of the GATA transcription factor family. We then carried out RNase protection assays and immunohistochemical techniques aimed at comparing precisely the chronological expression patterns of AMH and GATA‐1, this latter being expressed in the testis after birth. Using both approaches we found an inverse and close relationship between AMH and GATA‐1 mRNA and protein expression during the pre‐pubertal period. These results allowed us to define a transitory 4–5‐day period, starting from 3 dpp when both proteins are heterogeneously expressed in Sertoli cells and showed that the appearance of GATA‐1 is associated with the decrease of AMH expression in these cells. Furthermore DNA‐protein interaction in in vitro studies showed first that GATA‐1 binds with various affinities on sites found in the AMH promoter and second that the proximity of the two strongest affinity sites leads to a synergistic binding effect. Altogether, the present study suggests that GATA‐1 participates in AMH gene repression during the pre‐pubertal period. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 56:124–138, 2000.

Expression of HLA-G by mast cells is associated with hepatitis C virus-induced liver fibrosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS Infection with hepatitis C virus is a worldwide health problem. An inadequate Th2 cytokine response promotes the fibrosis-cirrhosis fate. Immune-modulating molecules favoring a Th2 profile, such as HLA-G molecules of the HLA class Ib family, may play a role in chronic hepatitis. HLA-G contributes to the escape of tumors, and their involvement in viral infections has been increasingly described. The aim of this work was to study the expression of HLA-G in the liver, its cellular source and its regulation in cases of chronic C hepatitis. METHODS HLA-G cells in blocks of liver derived from patients infected with HCV were labeled by immunohistochemistry and enumerated. Double immunofluorescence allowed the identification of the cellular source. HLA-G secretion by a human mast cell line was quantified by ELISA after various stimulations. After treatment with IFN-α, real-time PCR was performed to determine the kinetics of cytokine expression profiles, followed by heat map clustering analysis. RESULTS The number of HLA-G+ cells was significantly associated with the area of fibrosis. For the first time, we identify the HLA-G+ cells as being mast cells. HLA-G secretion was significantly induced in human mast cells stimulated by IL-10 or interferons of class I. The transcriptome of the secretome of this cell line stimulated by IFN-α revealed that (i) the HLA-G gene is upregulated late, and that (ii) T lymphocytes and NK cells are recruited. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest an autocrine loop in the genesis of HCV liver fibrosis, based on mast cells expressing HLA-G.

Pathogenic Mouse Hepatitis Virus or Poly(I:C) Induce IL-33 in Hepatocytes in Murine Models of Hepatitis

The IL-33/ST2 axis is known to be involved in liver pathologies. Although, the IL-33 levels increased in sera of viral hepatitis patients in human, the cellular sources of IL-33 in viral hepatitis remained obscure. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the expression of IL-33 in murine fulminant hepatitis induced by a Toll like receptor (TLR3) viral mimetic, poly(I:C) or by pathogenic mouse hepatitis virus (L2-MHV3). The administration of poly(I:C) plus D-galactosamine (D-GalN) in mice led to acute liver injury associated with the induction of IL-33 expression in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and vascular endothelial cells (VEC), while the administration of poly(I:C) alone led to hepatocyte specific IL-33 expression in addition to vascular IL-33 expression. The hepatocyte-specific IL-33 expression was down-regulated in NK-depleted poly(I:C) treated mice suggesting a partial regulation of IL-33 by NK cells. The CD1d KO (NKT deficient) mice showed hepatoprotection against poly(I:C)-induced hepatitis in association with increased number of IL-33 expressing hepatocytes in CD1d KO mice than WT controls. These results suggest that hepatocyte-specific IL-33 expression in poly(I:C) induced liver injury was partially dependent of NK cells and with limited role of NKT cells. In parallel, the L2-MHV3 infection in mice induced fulminant hepatitis associated with up-regulated IL-33 expression as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine microenvironment in liver. The LSEC and VEC expressed inducible expression of IL-33 following L2-MHV3 infection but the hepatocyte-specific IL-33 expression was only evident between 24 to 32h of post infection. In conclusion, the alarmin cytokine IL-33 was over-expressed during fulminant hepatitis in mice with LSEC, VEC and hepatocytes as potential sources of IL-33.

Ablation of interaction between IL-33 and ST2+ regulatory T cells increases immune cell-mediated hepatitis and activated NK cell liver infiltration

The IL-33/ST2 axis plays a protective role in T-cell-mediated hepatitis, but little is known about the functional impact of endogenous IL-33 on liver immunopathology. We used IL-33-deficient mice to investigate the functional effect of endogenous IL-33 in concanavalin A (Con A)-hepatitis. IL-33(-/-) mice displayed more severe Con A liver injury than wild-type (WT) mice, consistent with a hepatoprotective effect of IL-33. The more severe hepatic injury in IL-33(-/-) mice was associated with significantly higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β and a larger number of NK cells infiltrating the liver. The expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) and IL-17 was not significantly varied between WT and IL-33(-/-) mice following Con A-hepatitis. The percentage of CD25(+) NK cells was significantly higher in the livers of IL-33(-/-) mice than in WT mice in association with upregulated expression of CXCR3 in the liver. Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) strongly infiltrated the liver in both WT and IL-33(-/-) mice, but Con A treatment increased their membrane expression of ST2 and CD25 only in WT mice. In vitro, IL-33 had a significant survival effect, increasing the total number of splenocytes, including B cells, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and the frequency of ST2(+) Treg cells. In conclusion, IL-33 acts as a potent immune modulator protecting the liver through activation of ST2(+) Treg cells and control of NK cells.