Fol. Biol. 2019, 65, 101-108

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2019065020101

Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) Regulates Th17/Treg Immunity in Experimental IgA Nephropathy

Y. Yang, K. Liu, Y. Chen, Y. Gong, Yumei Liang

Department of Nephrology, Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China

Received January 2019
Accepted April 2019

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide. Current studies have shown that the Th17/Treg immune balance may be involved in the occurrence of IgAN, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an enzyme that catalyses degradation of tryptophan (Trp) through the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway; it can control inflammation and immune response by inducing Trp starvation. IDO may be a key molecule in regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. However, it is not clear whether IDO is involved in the IgAN disease occurrence by regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. In this study, an IgAN mouse model was established. The mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with IDO inhibitor 1-MT or agonist ISS-ODN to observe whether the IDO signalling pathway participates in the occurrence and development of IgAN by regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. The results showed that IDO inhibitor 1-MT significantly increased renal injury and glomerular IgA accumulation and up-regulated Th17/Treg and Th17-related cytokine expression in IgAN mice, while ISS-ODN significantly decreased renal injury and glomerular IgA accumulation, down-regulated Th17/Treg expression and inhibited Th17-related cytokine expression in IgAN mice. In conclusion, IDO was involved in the occurrence and progress of IgAN by regulating the Th17/ Treg balance.

Funding

This study was supported by Hunan key research and development program – key research and development projects in the field of social development (2017SK2143).

References

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