Back to Search Start Over

The CD4+ T cell regulatory network mediates inflammatory responses during acute hyperinsulinemia: a simulation study.

Authors :
Martinez-Sanchez ME
Hiriart M
Alvarez-Buylla ER
Source :
BMC systems biology [BMC Syst Biol] 2017 Jun 26; Vol. 11 (1), pp. 64. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jun 26.
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

Background: Obesity is frequently linked to insulin resistance, high insulin levels, chronic inflammation, and alterations in the behaviour of CD4+ T cells. Despite the biomedical importance of this condition, the system-level mechanisms that alter CD4+ T cell differentiation and plasticity are not well understood.<br />Results: We model how hyperinsulinemia alters the dynamics of the CD4+ T regulatory network, and this, in turn, modulates cell differentiation and plasticity. Different polarizing microenvironments are simulated under basal and high levels of insulin to assess impacts on cell-fate attainment and robustness in response to transient perturbations. In the presence of high levels of insulin Th1 and Th17 become more stable to transient perturbations, and their basin sizes are augmented, Tr1 cells become less stable or disappear, while TGFβ producing cells remain unaltered. Hence, the model provides a dynamic system-level framework and explanation to further understand the documented and apparently paradoxical role of TGFβ in both inflammation and regulation of immune responses, as well as the emergence of the adipose Treg phenotype. Furthermore, our simulations provide new predictions on the impact of the microenvironment in the coexistence of the different cell types, suggesting that in pro-Th1, pro-Th2 and pro-Th17 environments effector and regulatory cells can coexist, but that high levels of insulin severely diminish regulatory cells, especially in a pro-Th17 environment.<br />Conclusions: This work provides a first step towards a system-level formal and dynamic framework to integrate further experimental data in the study of complex inflammatory diseases.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1752-0509
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
BMC systems biology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
28651594
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12918-017-0436-y