Search

Some infections deplete serum retinol, low retinol reduces immunity, and reduced immunity establishes susceptibility to further infection in a cyclical relationship that is poorly understood. We showed that when retinol was low, there was excessive Th1 cell IFN-gamma synthesis and inadequate Th2 cell IL-4 and IL-5 synthesis. The retinol metabolite retinoic acid inhibited the IFN-gamma stimulatory activity of APCs, enhanced Th2 cell differentiation, and inhibited Th1 cell IFN-gamma synthesis. Here we focus on the mechanism for retinoic acid inhibition of IFN-gamma synthesis in myelin basic protein-specific MM4 Th1 cells. Physiologic amounts of all-trans-retinoic acid directly and specifically down-regulated the MM4 Th1 cell IFN-gamma secretion rate in vitro without affecting cell growth, viability, or overall protein synthesis. All-trans-, 9-cis-, and 13-cis-retinoic acid, and the synthetic retinoid Ch55, inhibited IFN-gamma synthesis effectively, whereas retinaldehyde, retinol, and retinyl acetate did not. This pattern suggests retinoic acid receptor involvement in the inhibition mechanism. Retinoic acid did not inhibit when Th1 cells were activated only through the TCR/CD3 complex, with or without IL-2 costimulation. Retinoic acid inhibited IFN-gamma synthesis when the CD28 costimulatory pathway was activated in addition to the TCR/CD3 pathway, suggesting it blocks some step in the CD28 pathway. Retinoid probably acted to decrease IFN-gamma transcript accumulation by decreasing transcription because it did not decrease transcript stability. We suggest that unrestrained IFN-gamma synthesis is one key immunobiologic mechanism that accounts for poor antibody-mediated immunity in hypovitaminosis A, since IFN-gamma in relatively small amounts can limit Th2 cell growth and interfere with the B cell stimulatory functions of Th2 cell cytokines.

In hypovitaminosis A, Ab-mediated immunity is severely impaired. We reported that Trichinella spiralis infection stimulates a strong Th2 cell response in control mice but in vitamin A-deficient mice it stimulates a strong Th1 cell response. Here we investigated the immunobiologic mechanisms underlying this shift from a Th2- to a Th1-dominated response. A kinetic analysis showed that the Th1 cells developed first and IFN-gamma secretion predominated in deficient mice, whereas the Th2 cells developed later and IL-5 and IL-10 secretion predominated in control mice. The IFN-gamma-secreting cell frequencies were the same but cells from deficient mice secreted IFN-gamma sixfold faster than cells from control mice, and retinoic acid addition in vitro decreased that rate 50%. In contrast, the IL-5-secretion rates were the same but the IL-5-secreting cell frequency was lower in deficient mice than in controls, and retinoic acid addition in vitro doubled this frequency independently of its inhibitory effect on IFN-gamma. The APC from deficient mice stimulated greater IFN-gamma release than control APC and retinoic acid addition in vitro decreased this activity 50%. Together these results identify at least three vitamin A activities that balance Th1 and Th2 functions, down-regulating Th1 cell IFN-gamma secretion directly, decreasing activated APC function, and promoting Th2 cell growth and/or differentiation. In this system and perhaps others, the imbalance between regulatory Th1 and Th2 cells is one mechanism underlying poor Ab-mediated immunity in hypovitaminosis A.

In recent years there has been an effort to understand possible noncalcemic roles of vitamin D, including its role in the immune system and, in particular, on T cell-medicated immunity. Vitamin D receptor is found in significant concentrations in the T lymphocyte and macrophage populations. However, its highest concentration is in the immature immune cells of the thymus and the mature CD-8 T lymphocytes. The significant role of vitamin D compounds as selective immunosuppressants is illustrated by their ability to either prevent or markedly suppress animal models of autoimmune disease. Results show that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 can either prevent or markedly suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type I diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. In almost every case, the action of the vitamin D hormone requires that the animals be maintained on a normal or high calcium diet. Possible mechanisms of suppression of these autoimmune disorders by the vitamin D hormone have been presented. The vitamin D hormone stimulates transforming growth factor TGFbeta-1 and interleukin 4 (IL-4) production, which in turn may suppress inflammatory T cell activity. In support of this, the vitamin D hormone is unable to suppress a murine model of the human disease multiple sclerosis in IL-4-deficient mice. The results suggest an important role for vitamin D in autoimmune disorders and provide a fertile and interesting area of research that may yield important new therapies.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, the hormonal form of vitamin D, is now believed to play a significant role in the immune responses, both in vitro and in vivo, preventing the development of several autoimmune diseases. These studies suggest that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 may be effective in prolonging allograph survival.To test the hypothesis that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 would prolong allograft survival, neonatal heart grafts were transplanted to allogeneic recipients receiving either 19-nor-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (200 ng/day) or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (50 ng/mouse/day) orally through the diet. The efficacy of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in prolonging graft survival in a vascularized model was determined by heterotopic ACI to Lewis heart transplants.The provision of exogenous 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or an analog, 19-nor-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2, to mice markedly prolonged the survival of neonatal mouse heart allografts. Similar results were obtained with a vascularized heterotopic heart transplant model in rats. Cyclosporine at a maximum 25 mg/kg dose for mice proved less effective than 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Graft survival in mice differing at class I and class II loci (B10.A(4R) --C57BL/10) increased from 13.0+/-1.1 days to 51.0+/-5.6 days and was significantly better than cyclosporine monotherapy (33.2+/-3.6). Rat heart survival in a high responder strain combination (ACI --Lewis) increased from 6.2+/-0.3 to 25.2+/-2.8 days. The increased survival of the transplants brought about with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was not accompanied by hypercalcemia in rats.These results suggest that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 can be used as an effective agent in preventing graft rejection.

Previously we demonstrated that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 blocks the progression of relapsing encephalomyelitis. We now propose that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 blocks these autoimmune symptoms by stimulating the differentiation and/or function of cells that inhibit the encephalitogenic process. To support this belief, we have found that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 administration to mice increases IL-4 transcripts by 3- to 25-fold and TGF-beta 1 transcripts by 4- to 24-fold. Similarly, IL-4 and TGF-beta 1 transcripts were higher in the central nervous system of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-treated mice compared with controls. The number of cells recoverable from the lymph nodes of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-treated mice was only 50% that of controls. Overall, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 treatment causes a net loss in the total number of lymphocytes while the number of IL-4 and TGF-beta 1 transcripts increased. The systemic and local increase in the expression of these two anti-inflammatory cytokines by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 may be responsible for the ability of this drug to block encephalomyelitis.

Some infections deplete serum retinol, low retinol reduces immunity, and reduced immunity establishes susceptibility to further infection in a cyclical relationship that is poorly understood. We showed that when retinol was low, there was excessive Th1 cell IFN-gamma synthesis and inadequate Th2 cell IL-4 and IL-5 synthesis. The retinol metabolite retinoic acid inhibited the IFN-gamma stimulatory activity of APCs, enhanced Th2 cell differentiation, and inhibited Th1 cell IFN-gamma synthesis. Here we focus on the mechanism for retinoic acid inhibition of IFN-gamma synthesis in myelin basic protein-specific MM4 Th1 cells. Physiologic amounts of all-trans-retinoic acid directly and specifically down-regulated the MM4 Th1 cell IFN-gamma secretion rate in vitro without affecting cell growth, viability, or overall protein synthesis. All-trans-, 9-cis-, and 13-cis-retinoic acid, and the synthetic retinoid Ch55, inhibited IFN-gamma synthesis effectively, whereas retinaldehyde, retinol, and retinyl acetate did not. This pattern suggests retinoic acid receptor involvement in the inhibition mechanism. Retinoic acid did not inhibit when Th1 cells were activated only through the TCR/CD3 complex, with or without IL-2 costimulation. Retinoic acid inhibited IFN-gamma synthesis when the CD28 costimulatory pathway was activated in addition to the TCR/CD3 pathway, suggesting it blocks some step in the CD28 pathway. Retinoid probably acted to decrease IFN-gamma transcript accumulation by decreasing transcription because it did not decrease transcript stability. We suggest that unrestrained IFN-gamma synthesis is one key immunobiologic mechanism that accounts for poor antibody-mediated immunity in hypovitaminosis A, since IFN-gamma in relatively small amounts can limit Th2 cell growth and interfere with the B cell stimulatory functions of Th2 cell cytokines.

In hypovitaminosis A, Ab-mediated immunity is severely impaired. We reported that Trichinella spiralis infection stimulates a strong Th2 cell response in control mice but in vitamin A-deficient mice it stimulates a strong Th1 cell response. Here we investigated the immunobiologic mechanisms underlying this shift from a Th2- to a Th1-dominated response. A kinetic analysis showed that the Th1 cells developed first and IFN-gamma secretion predominated in deficient mice, whereas the Th2 cells developed later and IL-5 and IL-10 secretion predominated in control mice. The IFN-gamma-secreting cell frequencies were the same but cells from deficient mice secreted IFN-gamma sixfold faster than cells from control mice, and retinoic acid addition in vitro decreased that rate 50%. In contrast, the IL-5-secretion rates were the same but the IL-5-secreting cell frequency was lower in deficient mice than in controls, and retinoic acid addition in vitro doubled this frequency independently of its inhibitory effect on IFN-gamma. The APC from deficient mice stimulated greater IFN-gamma release than control APC and retinoic acid addition in vitro decreased this activity 50%. Together these results identify at least three vitamin A activities that balance Th1 and Th2 functions, down-regulating Th1 cell IFN-gamma secretion directly, decreasing activated APC function, and promoting Th2 cell growth and/or differentiation. In this system and perhaps others, the imbalance between regulatory Th1 and Th2 cells is one mechanism underlying poor Ab-mediated immunity in hypovitaminosis A.