The Effect of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Development of Inflammation in Lungs, Gut and Joints of TNFΔARE Mice

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 2;10(11):e0141570. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141570. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The inflammatory cytokine TNF-α is a central mediator in many immune-mediated diseases, such as Crohn's disease (CD), spondyloarthritis (SpA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Epidemiologic studies have shown that cigarette smoking (CS) is a prominent common risk factor in these TNF-dependent diseases. We exposed TNFΔARE mice; in which a systemic TNF-α overexpression leads to the development of inflammation; to 2 or 4 weeks of air or CS. We investigated the effect of deregulated TNF expression on CS-induced pulmonary inflammation and the effect of CS exposure on the initiation and progression of gut and joint inflammation. Upon 2 weeks of CS exposure, inflammation in lungs of TNFΔARE mice was significantly aggravated. However, upon 4 weeks of CS-exposure, this aggravation was no longer observed. TNFΔARE mice have no increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a diminished neutrophil response in the lungs after 4 weeks of CS exposure. In the gut and joints of TNFΔARE mice, 2 or 4 weeks of CS exposure did not modulate the development of inflammation. In conclusion, CS exposure does not modulate gut and joint inflammation in TNFΔARE mice. The lung responses towards CS in TNFΔARE mice however depend on the duration of CS exposure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute-Phase Proteins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Arthritis / genetics
  • Arthritis / immunology
  • Arthritis / pathology*
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Feces / chemistry
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / genetics
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / immunology
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / pathology*
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Pneumonia / genetics
  • Pneumonia / immunology
  • Pneumonia / pathology*
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Smoking / adverse effects*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Acute-Phase Proteins
  • Cytokines
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Lcn2 protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (01D41012), the Concerted Research Action of Ghent University (BOF/GOA 01251504), Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IUAP) - Belgian Science Policy P6/35 and P7/30, and Fund for Scientific Research Flanders - Belgium (G.0329.11N). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.