Natural CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells express α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits / 国际外科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate whether CD4~+ CD25~+ regulatory T cells (Treg) from C57BL/6J mice express alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). Methods CD4~+ CD25~+ regulatory T cells were isolated from mouse splenocytes with a CD4~+ CD25~+ regulatory T Cell isolation kit (Mihenyi Bio-tee). The purity of isolated Tregs was analyzed by flow eytometry. Expressions of α7nAChR in mouse CD4~+ CD25~+ Tregs were examined by immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, and reverse transeription-PCR, respectively. Results It was revealed by flow cytometry that Tregs could bind alpha-bungarotoxin (α-BGT)-F/TC, a specific α7 nAChR antagonist. Moreover, a positive binding to α-Bgt was also observed on the cell surface of Treg, as viewed by fluorescent confoeal microscopy. In addition, a clear band of a7nAChR with a molecular mass of approximately 55 kD was found from Tregs by Western blotting analysis, and α7nAChR mRNA was expressed with the expected size of 199 bp from Tregs by reverse transcription-PCR. Conclusion Natural CD4~+ CD25~+ Tregs from mice express α7nAChR.