Airway Exposure to Polyethyleneimine Nanoparticles Induces Type 2 Immunity by a Mechanism Involving Oxidative Stress and ATP Release

Polyethyleneimine (PEI) induced immune responses were investigated in human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells and mice. PEI rapidly induced ATP release from hBE cells and pretreatment with glutathione (GSH) blocked the response. PEI activated two conductive pathways, VDAC-1 and pannexin 1, which comp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yotesawee Srisomboon, Noriyuki Ohkura, Koji Iijima, Takao Kobayashi, Peter J. Maniak, Hirohito Kita, Scott M. O’Grady
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/16/9071
Description
Summary:Polyethyleneimine (PEI) induced immune responses were investigated in human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells and mice. PEI rapidly induced ATP release from hBE cells and pretreatment with glutathione (GSH) blocked the response. PEI activated two conductive pathways, VDAC-1 and pannexin 1, which completely accounted for ATP efflux across the plasma membrane. Moreover, PEI increased intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> concentration ([Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub>), which was reduced by the pannexin 1 inhibitor, <sup>10</sup>Panx (50 μM), the VDAC-1 inhibitor, DIDS (100 μM), and was nearly abolished by pretreatment with GSH (5 mM). The increase in [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> involved Ca<sup>2+</sup> uptake through two pathways, one blocked by oxidized ATP (oATP, 300 μM) and another that was blocked by the TRPV-1 antagonist A784168 (100 nM). PEI stimulation also increased IL-33 mRNA expression and protein secretion. In vivo experiments showed that acute (4.5 h) PEI exposure stimulated secretion of Th2 cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13) into bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Conjugation of PEI with ovalbumin also induced eosinophil recruitment and secretion of IL-5 and IL-13 into BAL fluid, which was inhibited in IL-33 receptor (ST2) deficient mice. In conclusion, PEI-induced oxidative stress stimulated type 2 immune responses by activating ATP-dependent Ca<sup>2+</sup> uptake leading to IL-33 secretion, similar to allergens derived from Alternaria.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067