Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Perturbations in Gene Expression during Early Stages of CD4(+) T-cell Differentiation.

Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by its prototypic ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), mediates potent suppression of T-cell dependent immune responses. The suppressive effects of TCDD occur early during CD4(+) T-cell differentiation in the absence of effects on proliferation and have recently been associated with the induction of AhR-dependent regulatory T-cells (Treg). Since AhR functions as a ligand-activated transcription factor, changes in gene expression induced by TCDD during the early stages of CD4(+) T-cell differentiation are likely to reflect fundamental mechanisms of AhR action. A custom panel of genes associated with T-cell differentiation was used to query changes in gene expression induced by exposure to 1 nM TCDD. CD4(+) T-cells from AhR(+/+) and AhR(-/-) mice were cultured with cytokines known to polarize the differentiation of T-cells to various effector lineages. Treatment with TCDD induced the expression of Cyp1a1, Cyp1b1, and Ahrr in CD4(+) T-cells from AhR(+/+) mice under all culture conditions, validating the presence and activation of AhR in these cells. The highest levels of AhR activation occurred under Th17 conditions at 24 h and Tr1 conditions at 48 h. Unexpectedly, expression levels of most genes associated with early T-cell differentiation were unaltered by AhR activation, including lineage-specific genes that drive CD4(+) T-cell polarization. The major exception was AhR-dependent up-regulation of Il22 that was seen under all culture conditions. Independent of TCDD, AhR down-regulated the expression of Il17a and Rorc based on increased expression of these genes in AhR-deficient cells across culture conditions. These findings are consistent with a role for AhR in down-regulation of inflammatory immune responses and implicate IL-22 as a potential contributor to the immunosuppressive effects of TCDD.

Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor by TCDD prevents diabetes in NOD mice and increases Foxp3+ T cells in pancreatic lymph nodes.

The ligand-activated transcription factor, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), is a novel inducer of adaptive Tregs. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most potent AHR ligand, induces adaptive CD4+CD25+ Tregs during an acute graft-versus-host (GvH) response and prevents the generation of allospecific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. TCDD also suppresses the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalitis in association with an expanded population of Foxp3+ Tregs. In this study, we show that chronic treatment of NOD mice with TCDD potently suppresses the development of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes in parallel with greatly reduced pancreatic islet insulitis and an expanded population of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells in the pancreatic lymph nodes. When treatment with TCDD was terminated after 15 weeks (23 weeks of age), mice developed diabetes over the next 8 weeks in association with lower numbers of Tregs and decreased activation of AHR. Analysis of the expression levels of several genes associated with inflammation, T-cell activation and/or Treg function in pancreatic lymph node cells failed to reveal any differences associated with TCDD treatment. Taken together, the data suggest that AHR activation by TCDD-like ligands may represent a novel avenue for treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

Functional characterization and gene expression analysis of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells generated in mice treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

Although the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) are mediated through binding and activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), the subsequent biochemical and molecular changes that confer immune suppression are not well understood. Mice exposed to TCDD during an acute B6-into-B6D2F1 graft-vs-host response do not develop disease, and recently this has been shown to correlate with the generation of CD4(+) T cells that express CD25 and demonstrate in vitro suppressive function. The purpose of this study was to further characterize these CD4(+) cells (TCDD-CD4(+) cells) by comparing and contrasting them with both natural regulatory CD4(+) T cells (T-regs) and vehicle-treated cells. Cellular anergy, suppressive functions, and cytokine production were examined. We found that TCDD-CD4(+) cells actively proliferate in response to various stimuli but suppress IL-2 production and the proliferation of effector T cells. Like natural T-regs, TCDD-CD4(+) cells do not produce IL-2 and their suppressive function is contact dependent but abrogated by costimulation through glucocorticoid-induced TNFR (GITR). TCDD-CD4(+) cells also secrete significant amounts of IL-10 in response to both polyclonal and alloantigen stimuli. Several genes were significantly up-regulated in TCDD-CD4(+) cells including TGF-beta3, Blimp-1, and granzyme B, as well as genes associated with the IL12-Rb2 signaling pathway. TCDD-CD4(+) cells demonstrated an increased responsiveness to IL-12 as indicated by the phosphorylation levels of STAT4. Only 2% of TCDD-CD4(+) cells express Foxp3, suggesting that the AhR does not rely on Foxp3 for suppressive activity. The generation of CD4(+) cells with regulatory function mediated through activation of the AhR by TCDD may represent a novel pathway for the induction of T-regs.

Cutting edge: activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin generates a population of CD4+ CD25+ cells with characteristics of regulatory T cells.

Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by its most potent ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), leads to immune suppression in mice. Although the underlying mechanisms responsible for AhR-mediated immune suppression are not known, previous studies have shown that activation of the AhR must occur within the first 3 days of an immune response and that CD4+ T cells are primary targets. Using the B6-into-B6D2F1 model of an acute graft-vs-host response, we show that activation of AhR in donor T cells leads to the generation of a subpopulation of CD4+ T cells that expresses high levels of CD25, along with CD62L(low), CTLA-4, and glucocorticoid-induced TNFR. These donor-derived CD4+ CD25+ cells also display functional characteristics of regulatory T cells in vitro. These findings suggest a novel role for AhR in the induction of regulatory T cells and provide a new perspective on the mechanisms that underlie the profound immune suppression induced by exposure to TCDD.

Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene induced DNA adduct formation in lung tissue in vivo.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental carcinogens present in the atmosphere from combustion sources such as cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust, residential heating processes, and industrial coke production. To date, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP) has been found to be the strongest tumor-initiating PAH ever tested in rodent skin and mammary tumor models. Here we show for the first time that systemic exposure to DBP causes DNA damage in mouse lung tissue. C57BL/6 mice were gavaged with 1, 5 or 20 mg DBP/kg body weight, daily for 10 days. Toxicity of DBP was revealed by a decrease in body and organ weight of mice while no apparent cell death was observed on P815 mastocytoma cells (allograft model) in vitro. However, treatment of P815 cells in vitro with the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of DBP, the fjord region (-)-anti-11,12-diol 13,14-epoxide [(-)-anti-DBPDE], resulted in the total loss of cell viability. Lungs from the animals were removed and subjected to DBP-DNA adduct analysis. A dose dependent adduct formation was revealed by 33P-postlabeling analysis of DNA from lung tissue. The majority of DNA adducts formed in lungs of mice after systemic exposure to DBP were contributed by (-)-anti-DBPDE. The data from this in vivo model are consistent with previous metabolic activation results obtained with DBP in human cells in culture.

Early consequences of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure on the activation and survival of antigen-specific T cells.

TCDD is a potent immunotoxicant that suppresses adaptive immunity by mechanisms that are not well defined. To gain insight at the level of the T cell, we used the DO11.10 transgenic T-cell receptor (TCR) mouse model in an adoptive transfer approach to characterize the influence of TCDD on the responsiveness of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in vivo. Flow cytometry was used to track the response of the OVA-specific transgenic CD4+ T cells in syngeneic recipients using an antibody specific for the transgenic TCR (KJ1-26 [KJ]). Consistent with a previous report, exposure of the recipient mice to TCDD (15 microg/kg po) did not alter the initial expansion of the CD4+KJ+ T cells in the spleen following immunization with OVA but resulted in a significant decline in the number of cells present on and after day 4. The degree of decline was dependent on the dose of TCDD. On day 3 after OVA injection, a higher percentage of the CD4+KJ+ T cells in the spleens of TCDD-treated mice had down-regulated the expression of CD62L, a phenotype associated with T-cell activation. Also on day 3, an increased number of CD4+KJ+ T cells were found in the blood of TCDD-treated mice. However, as in the spleen, the number of CD4+KJ+ T cells in the blood rapidly declined on day 4. CD4+KJ+ T cells in both the spleen and blood of TCDD-treated mice failed to up-regulate CD11a, an adhesion molecule important for sustained interaction between T cells and DC whereas the up-regulation of the adhesion molecule CD49d was not altered. Based on analysis of cell division history, CD4+KJ+ T cells in vehicle-treated mice continued to divide through day 4 whereas CD4+KJ+ T cells in TCDD-treated mice showed no further division after day 3. Increased annexin V staining on CD4+KJ+ T cells in TCDD-treated mice was also observed but not until days 5 and 6. Fas-deficient CD4+KJ+ T cells were depleted from the spleen of TCDD-treated mice in a manner similar to wild-type CD4+KJ+ T cells, suggesting that Fas signaling does not play a critical role in this model. On the other hand, gene array analysis of purified CD4+KJ+ T cells on day 3 showed that the expression of several genes associated with cell survival/death were altered by TCDD. Taken together, the results are consistent with our hypothesis that TCDD provides an early but inappropriate activation signal to the antigen-specific T cells that allows, and possibly enhances, the initial activation and proliferation of the T cells, yet at the same time, interferes with the vital expression of certain adhesion/costimulatory molecules that serve to enhance the survival of the T cells. These changes result in truncated proliferation, increased T-cell death, and suppression of the adaptive immune response.