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Neuroprotection against ischemic stroke requires a specific class of early responder T cells in mice
Wei Cai, Ligen Shi, Jingyan Zhao, Fei Xu, Connor Dufort, Qing Ye, Tuo Yang, Xuejiao Dai, Junxuan Lyu, Chenghao Jin, Hongjian Pu, Fang Yu, Sulaiman Hassan, Zeyu Sun, Wenting Zhang, T. Kevin Hitchens, Yejie Shi, Angus W. Thomson, Rehana K. Leak, Xiaoming Hu, Jun Chen
Wei Cai, Ligen Shi, Jingyan Zhao, Fei Xu, Connor Dufort, Qing Ye, Tuo Yang, Xuejiao Dai, Junxuan Lyu, Chenghao Jin, Hongjian Pu, Fang Yu, Sulaiman Hassan, Zeyu Sun, Wenting Zhang, T. Kevin Hitchens, Yejie Shi, Angus W. Thomson, Rehana K. Leak, Xiaoming Hu, Jun Chen
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Research Article Inflammation Neuroscience

Neuroprotection against ischemic stroke requires a specific class of early responder T cells in mice

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Abstract

Immunomodulation holds therapeutic promise against brain injuries, but leveraging this approach requires a precise understanding of mechanisms. We report that CD8+CD122+CD49dlo T regulatory-like cells (CD8+ TRLs) are among the earliest lymphocytes to infiltrate mouse brains after ischemic stroke and temper inflammation; they also confer neuroprotection. TRL depletion worsened stroke outcomes, an effect reversed by CD8+ TRL reconstitution. The CXCR3/CXCL10 axis served as the brain-homing mechanism for CD8+ TRLs. Upon brain entry, CD8+ TRLs were reprogrammed to upregulate leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor, epidermal growth factor–like transforming growth factor (ETGF), and interleukin 10 (IL-10). LIF/LIF receptor interactions induced ETGF and IL-10 production in CD8+ TRLs. While IL-10 induction was important for the antiinflammatory effects of CD8+ TRLs, ETGF provided direct neuroprotection. Poststroke intravenous transfer of CD8+ TRLs reduced infarction, promoting long-term neurological recovery in young males or aged mice of both sexes. Thus, these unique CD8+ TRLs serve as early responders to rally defenses against stroke, offering fresh perspectives for clinical translation.

Authors

Wei Cai, Ligen Shi, Jingyan Zhao, Fei Xu, Connor Dufort, Qing Ye, Tuo Yang, Xuejiao Dai, Junxuan Lyu, Chenghao Jin, Hongjian Pu, Fang Yu, Sulaiman Hassan, Zeyu Sun, Wenting Zhang, T. Kevin Hitchens, Yejie Shi, Angus W. Thomson, Rehana K. Leak, Xiaoming Hu, Jun Chen

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Figure 4

CD8+ TRLs confer neuroprotection after tMCAO through a combination of antiinflammatory and inflammation-independent mechanisms.

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CD8+ TRLs confer neuroprotection after tMCAO through a combination of an...
(A–C) Single-cell suspensions were prepared from mouse blood and brain 3 days after sham or tMCAO. Sorted CD8+ TRLs were analyzed by RNA-seq. n = 2 in each group. (A) Volcano plot showing differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between brain-infiltrating TRLs and blood TRLs (adjusted P < 0.05, |fold change| > 2). (B) Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of DEGs encoding extracellular factors. (C) GO analyses showing the immunoregulatory function of brain-infiltrating CD8+ TRLs. (D–F) Mice were treated with isotype IgG (100 μg) or anti-CD122 mAb (100 μg) 2 days prior to 60-minute tMCAO. (D) Quantitative RT-PCR analysis for Il1a, Tnf, Ifng, Il6, Il10, and Tgfb1 mRNA expression at 1 or 3 days after tMCAO. n = 3–7/group. Two-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni’s test. (E) Protein array analysis 3 days after tMCAO. Heatmap and bar graphs demonstrating proteins with greater than 2-fold changes (red, upregulated; blue, downregulated) in anti-CD122–treated mice versus IgG-treated mice after stroke. n = 3–5/group. Red asterisks indicate proteins that were significantly upregulated with a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.2. (F) Infiltration by Gr1+ neutrophils, CD11c+ DCs, F4/80+ macrophages, CD3+ T lymphocytes, and CD19+ B lymphocytes into the ischemic brain was quantified by flow cytometry 3 days after tMCAO. n = 3/group. Two-tailed Student’s t test. (G) CD3+CD122–CD25– Teff cells (1 million) or PBS were transferred into Rag1–/– mice 2 hours after tMCAO, which was followed by i.v. infusion of PBS or CD8+ TRLs (0.5 million). Brain infarcts were quantified on MAP2-stained brain sections collected 3 days after tMCAO. n = 8–9/group. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni’s test. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.

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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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