Role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the regulation of immunity and immunopathology during trypanosoma cruzi infection

AMBROSIO, LAURA FERNANDA; INSFRAN, CONSTANZA; VOLPINI, XIMENA; RODRIGUEZ, EVA ACOSTA; SERRA, HORACIO MARCELO; QUINTANA, FRANCISCO J.; CERVI, LAURA; MOTRÁN, CLAUDIA CRISTINA

Frontiers in Immunology

Frontiers Media S.A.

Año: 2019 vol. 10

esistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection is dependent on a rapid induction of Th1-type and CD8+ T cell responses that should be promptly balanced to prevent immunopathology. T. cruzi-infected B6 mice are able to control parasite replication but show a limited expansion of Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells that results in the accumulation of effector immune cells and the development of acute liver pathology. AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that promotes Treg cell development and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production in dendritic cells, altering the course of adaptive immune response and the development of immunopathology. Here, we used different AhR-dependent activation strategies aiming to improve the Treg response, and B6 congenic mice carrying a mutant AhR variant with low affinity for its ligands (AhRd) to evaluate the role of AhR activation by natural ligands during experimental T. cruzi infection. The outcome of TCDD or 3-HK plus ITE treatments indicate