No abstract

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that is activated by cellular stresses, such as oxidative compounds. After activation, Nrf2 induces transcription of its target genes, many of which have cytoprotective functions. Previously, we have shown that activation of Nrf2 by tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) skews murine CD4⁺ T-cell differentiation. Although the role of Nrf2 in murine T cells is somewhat characterized, it is largely uncharacterized in human T cells. Therefore, the aim of the current studies was to characterize the effects of the Nrf2 activator, tBHQ, on the early events of human CD4⁺ T-cell activation. Pretreatment of Jurkat T cells with tBHQ, prior to activation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28, diminished the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) at both the transcript and protein levels. Similarly, the expression of CD25 also diminished, albeit to a lesser degree than IL-2, after pretreatment with tBHQ. The decrease in IL-2 production was not due to decreased nuclear translocation of c-fos or c-jun. Although tBHQ caused both a delay and a decrease in Ca²⁺ influx in activated Jurkat cells, no decrease in nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) DNA binding or transcriptional activity was observed. In contrast to NFAT, tBHQ significantly decreased NFκB transcriptional activity. Collectively, our studies show that the Nrf2 activator, tBHQ, inhibits IL-2 and CD25 expression, which correlates with decreased NFκB transcriptional activity in activated Jurkat cells. Overall, our studies suggest that Nrf2 represents a novel mechanism for the regulation of both human and mouse T cell function.

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates a battery of antioxidant, detoxification, and cell stress genes. It is activated by oxidative stress and a number of exogenous compounds, one of which is tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), a widely used food preservative. Nrf2 modulates immune responses in numerous rodent models of inflammation, but its effects on human immune cells are not well characterized. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the effects of the Nrf2 activator tBHQ on early events of T cell activation in primary human cells. Treatment with tBHQ induced mRNA expression of the Nrf2 target genes HMOX-1, GCLC, and NQO1, and also increased NRF2 mRNA expression, albeit to a lesser extent than the other target genes. tBHQ decreased production of the cytokines IL-2 and IFN-γ at both the protein and mRNA levels after stimulation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and to an even greater extent in isolated CD4 T cells. Likewise, tBHQ decreased induction of CD25 and CD69 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and this decrease was even more marked in isolated CD4 T cells. In addition, tBHQ inhibited induction of NFκB DNA binding in anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated PBMCs. Collectively, these data suggest that tBHQ inhibits activation of primary human CD4 T cells, which correlates with activation of Nrf2 and inhibition of NFκB DNA binding. Although these studies suggest the food additive tBHQ negatively impacts T cell activation, further studies will be needed to fully elucidate the effect of tBHQ on human immune response.

Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) is a perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) that is structurally related to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Whereas PFOA and PFOS are known immunotoxicants, PFNA is less well characterized. Our previous study showed that PFNA has immunomodulatory effects on leukocyte populations and immune function. The present studies sought to determine whether, and to what degree, the immune system recovered 28 days after PFNA exposure. None of the parameters measured had fully recovered. A few parameters had partially recovered, including decreased spleen size and the decreased ratio of the CD4+/CD8+ double-positive population in thymus. The majority of effects of PFNA remained unchanged 28 days after exposure, including decreased proportion of intact thymocytes (as determined by FSC vs SSC), alterations in the ratios of immune cell populations in spleen and the CD4+, CD8+ and double-negative populations in thymus. Notably, PFNA markedly increased the TNFα response to LPS in vivo, and no recovery was evident 28 days after exposure. The effect of PFNA on CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and CD19+ cells was more pronounced in females. The current study demonstrates that a single high dose exposure to PFNA (e.g. as might occur accidentally in an occupational setting) has long-lasting effects on the immune system.

We previously demonstrated that activation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) promotes CD4+ Th2 differentiation. In the current study, we assessed the role of Nrf2 in early events following T cell activation. The Nrf2 activators, tBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone) and CDDO-Im (the imidazolide derivative of the triterpenoid CDDO), were used in conjunction with splenocytes derived from wild-type and Nrf2-null mice to distinguish between Nrf2-specific and off-target effects. CDDO-Im inhibited early IFNγ production in a largely Nrf2-dependent manner. In contrast, tBHQ and CDDO-Im had little effect on expression of CD25 or CD69. Furthermore, tBHQ inhibited GM-CSF and IL-2 production in both wild-type and Nrf2-null T cells, suggesting this effect is Nrf2-independent. Conversely, CDDO-Im caused a concentration-dependent increase in IL-2 secretion in wild-type, but not Nrf2-null, splenocytes, suggesting that Nrf2 promotes IL-2 production. Interestingly, both compounds inhibit NFκB DNA binding, where the suppression by tBHQ is Nrf2-independent and CDDO-Im is Nrf2-dependent. Surprisingly, as compared to wild-type splenocytes, Nrf2-null splenocytes showed lower nuclear accumulation of c-Jun, a member of the AP-1 family of transcription factors, which have been shown to drive multiple immune genes, including IL-2. Both Nrf2 activators caused a Nrf2-dependent trend toward increased nuclear accumulation of c-Jun. These data suggest that modulation of cytokine secretion by tBHQ likely involves multiple pathways, including AP-1, NFκB, and Nrf2. Overall, the data suggest that Nrf2 activation inhibits secretion of the Th1 cytokine IFNγ, and increases early production of IL-2, which has been shown to promote Th2 differentiation, and may support the later occurrence of Th2 polarization.

Programs including the ToxCast project have generated large amounts of in vitro high‒throughput screening (HTS) data, and best approaches for the interpretation and use of HTS data, including for chemical safety assessment, remain to be evaluated. To fill this gap, we conducted case studies of two indirect food additive chemicals where ToxCast data were compared with in vivo toxicity data using the RISK21 approach. Two food contact substances, sodium (2-pyridylthio)-N-oxide and dibutyltin dichloride, were selected, and available exposure data, toxicity data, and model predictions were compiled and assessed. Oral equivalent doses for the ToxCast bioactivity data were determined by in-vitro in-vivo extrapolation (IVIVE). For sodium (2-pyridylthio)-N-oxide, bioactive concentrations in ToxCast assays corresponded to low-and no-observed adverse effect levels in animal studies. For dibutyltin dichloride, the ToxCast bioactive concentrations were below the dose range that demonstrated toxicity in animals; however, this was confounded by the lack of toxicokinetic data, necessitating the use of conservative toxicokinetic parameter estimates for IVIVE calculations. This study highlights the potential utility of the RISK21 approach for interpretation of the ToxCast HTS data, as well as the challenges involved in integrating in vitro HTS data into safety assessments.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of subchronic, oral, low-dose cadmium exposure (32 ppm over 10 weeks) on the rat immune system. We found that cadmium exposure increased the induction of IFNγ and IL-10 in T cells activated ex vivo after cadmium exposure.