RAMP1 in Kupffer cells is a critical regulator in immune-mediated hepatitis

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 21;13(11):e0200432. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200432. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The significance of the relationship between the nervous and immune systems with respect to disease course is increasingly apparent. Immune cells in the liver and spleen are responsible for the development of acute liver injury, yet the regulatory mechanisms of the interactions remain elusive. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is released from the sensory nervous system, regulates innate immune activation via receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1), a subunit of the CGRP receptor. Here, we show that RAMP1 in Kupffer cells (KCs) plays a critical role in the etiology of immune-mediated hepatitis. RAMP1-deficient mice with concanavalin A (ConA)-mediated hepatitis, characterized by severe liver injury accompanied by infiltration of immune cells and increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by KCs and splenic T cells, showed poor survival. Removing KCs ameliorated liver damage, while depleting T cells or splenectomy led to partial amelioration. Adoptive transfer of splenic T cells from RAMP1-deficient mice led to a modest increase in liver injury. Co-culture of KCs with splenic T cells led to increased cytokine expression by both cells in a RAMP1-dependent manner. Thus, immune-mediated hepatitis develops via crosstalk between immune cells. RAMP1 in KCs is a key regulator of immune responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Concanavalin A / immunology
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Gene Deletion
  • Hepatitis / genetics
  • Hepatitis / immunology*
  • Hepatitis / pathology
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Kupffer Cells / immunology*
  • Kupffer Cells / metabolism
  • Kupffer Cells / pathology
  • Liver / immunology
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1 / genetics
  • Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1 / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Ramp1 protein, mouse
  • Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1
  • Concanavalin A
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (26293055 to YI, 23116102 to YI, 5462100 to MM, 16K21350 to MM, and 16K10581 to YI). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.