Highlights d TNF receptor family member OX40 is a key molecule in NASH development d OX40 regulates both intrahepatic innate and adaptive immunity in NASH d OX40 promotes hepatic monocyte but not Kupffer cell M1 polarization in NASH d Plasma OX40 levels are positively associated with NASH in humans

Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate whether galectin-3 (Gal-3) contributes actively to atrial fibrosis both in patients and experimental atrial fibrillation (AF) models. Methods: Mouse HL-1 cardiomyocytes were subjected to rapid electrical stimulation (RES) to explore Gal-3 expression and secretion levels by western blotting (WB) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were treated with conditioned culture medium and recombinant human Gal-3 to evaluate the activation of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/α-smooth muscle actin (SMA)/collagen I (Col I) profibrotic pathway (WB) and fibroblast proliferation with a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Furthermore, in the rapid atrial pacing (RAP) rabbit AF model, atrial Gal-3 expression and its effects on the profibrotic pathway were evaluated (WB and Masson’s trichrome staining). Moreover, 44 consecutive patients who underwent single mitral valve repair/replacement were included, consisting of 28 patients with persistent AF (PeAF) and 16 with sinus rhythm (SR). Coronary sinus blood was also sampled to test circulating Gal-3 levels (ELISA), and atrial myocardium Gal-3 and its downstream TGF-β1/α-SMA pathway were also measured by WB and immunohistochemical staining. Results: Gal-3 expression in HL-1 cells and its secretion level in culture medium were greatly increased after 24 h RES. Treatment of neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts with conditioned media collected from the RES group or recombinant human Gal-3 protein (10 and 30 µg/mL) for 72 h induced the activation of the TGF-β1/α-SMA/Col I profibrotic pathway. RAP increased Gal-3 levels and activated the TGF-β1/α-SMA/Col I pathway in rabbit left atria, while the Gal-3 inhibitor N-acetyllactosamine, injected at 4.5 mg/kg every 3 days, mitigated these adverse changes. Furthermore, Gal-3 levels in coronary sinus blood samples and myocardial Gal-3 expression levels were higher in the PeAF patients than in the SR patients, and higher level profibrotic pathway activation was also confirmed. Conclusions: Activation of Gal-3 expression in the atria can subsequently activate the TGF-β1/α-SMA/Col I pathway in cardiac fibroblasts, which may enhance atrial fibrosis.

The liver is a central immunologic organ with a high density of myeloid and lymphoid immune cells that play important roles in the development and progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the immune‐cell–mediated regulation of NASH and its underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, Prf1null mice showed significantly higher plasma alanine transaminase levels, with increased liver fat accumulation, lobular inflammation, and focal necrosis compared with wild‐type (WT) mice after 4 wk of feeding on a methionine‐ and choline‐deficient diet (MCD) or 16 wk of feeding on a high‐fat diet. Perforin deficiency promoted the M1 polarization of infiltrated monocytes. Moreover, MCD‐fed Prf1null mice exhibited increased accumulation, survival, activation, and proinflammatory cytokine production of CD8 T cells but not NK cells or CD4 T cells. Adoptive transfer of CD8 T cells or NK cells from WT or Prf1null mice, together with non‐CD8 cells or non‐NK cells from WT mice, indicated that CD8 T‐cell–derived perforin participates in the mechanism regulating liver inflammation and thus plays a protective role in the development of NASH. Perforin‐deficient CD8 T cells exhibited decreased cytotoxicity toward bone marrow‐derived M1 monocytes and macrophages. According to the RNA sequencing data, the perforin deficiency inhibited cell apoptosis and enhanced the activation, migration, and proinflammatory cytokine production of CD8 T cells in mice with NASH. Furthermore, we found higher plasma soluble perforin levels and hepatic perforin expression in NASH patients, suggesting clinical relevance of the findings. We have elucidated an important role for the cytotoxic immune effector molecule perforin from CD8 T cells in restricting hepatic inflammation in mice with NASH and suggest that therapies designed to maximize the function of endogenous perforin in CD8 T cells might have potential benefits as NASH treatments.—Wang, T., Sun, G., Wang, Y., Li, S., Zhao, X., Zhang, C., Jin, H., Tian, D., Liu, K., Shi, W., Tian, Y., Zhang, D. The immunoregulatory effects of CD8 T‐cell–derived perforin on diet‐induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. FASEB J. 33, 8490–8503 (2019). http://www.fasebj.org

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airway without satisfactory traditional therapies capable of controlling the underlying pathology. New approaches that can overcome the detrimental effects of immune dysregulation are thus desirable. Here we adoptively transfer ovalbumin (OVA) peptide-primed CD4−CD8− double negative T (DNT) cells intravenously into a mouse model of OVA-induced allergic asthma to find that OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, lung inflammation, mucus production and OVA-specific IgG/IgE production are significantly suppressed. The immunosuppressive function of the OVA-specific DNT cells is dependent on the inhibition of CD11b+ dendritic cell function, T follicular helper cell proliferation, and IL-21 production. Mechanistically, Lag3 contributes to MHC-II antigen recognition and trogocytosis, thereby modulating the antigen-specific immune regulation by DNT cells. The effectiveness of ex vivo-generated allergen-specific DNT cells in alleviating airway inflammation thus supports the potential utilization of DNT cell-based therapy for the treatment of allergic asthma.