Orientador: Sofia Fernanda Gonçalves Zorzella Pezavento / Resumo: A esclerose múltipla (EM) é uma doença inflamatória crônica e desmielinizante do Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC) que desencadeia diferentes graus de incapacidade física e cognitiva. Os tratamentos para a EM são baseados principalmente em drogas imunomoduladoras visando redução da gravidade e da frequência de recidivas, uma vez que não há cura para a doença. Estudos em modelo experimental de EM, denominado encefalomielite autoimune experimental (EAE) têm demonstrado o efeito imunomodulador da vitamina D (Vit D3) tanto na imunidade inata quanto na adaptativa. Neste contexto, nosso objetivo foi avaliar se a intervenção precoce com Vit D3 é capaz de bloquear a neuroinflamação em um modelo experimental de EM. Para isto, camundongos C57BL/6 fêmeas foram imunizados com MOG (glicoproteína da mielina do oligodendrócito) associada ao Adjuvante Completo de Freund e tratadas com Vit D3 por via intraperitoneal. A Vit D3 diminuiu, de forma significativa, a incidência e o escore clínico da doença. Este efeito protetor foi acompanhado da diminuição de entrada de linfócitos no SNC e também de redução no processo de desmielinização e expressão de MHCII em macrófagos e micróglia. A eficácia da Vit D3 também foi associada com controle local do estresse oxidativo, ou seja, nos animais tratados ocorreu normalização dos níveis de peroxidação lipídica e de proteína carbonil e também de enzimas antioxidantes (superóxido dismutase, catalase e glutationa peroxidase). A terapia com Vit D3 também determino... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and demyelinating inflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that triggers different degrees of physical and cognitive disability. Treatments for MS are mainly based on immunomodulatory drugs that reduce severity and frequency of relapses. Studies in an experimental model of MS, called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), have demonstrated the immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D (Vit D3) in both innate and adaptive immunity. In this context, our objective was to evaluate whether early intervention with Vit D3 was able to block neuroinflammation in EAE. Encephalomyelitis was induced in female C57BL / 6 mice by immunization with MOG (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) associated with Freund's Complete Adjuvant and two doses of pertussis toxin. Mice were treated with Vit D3 intraperitoneally. Treatment significantly decreased the incidence and clinical score of the disease. This protective effect was associate to decreased lymphocyte infiltration in the CNS and also reduced demyelination and MHCII expression in macrophages and microglia. Vit D3 also determined local control of oxidative stress, that is, normalization of the levels of lipid peroxidation and carbonyl protein and also of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase). Vit D3 therapy reduced NLRP3, caspase-1 and local IL-1β mRNA expression in the CNS. In addition, this precocious Vit D3 therapy normalized the blood-bra... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Microbiota colonisation of the intestinal tract makes it difficult for pattern recognition receptors (PRR) to discriminate between beneficial microbes and harmful pathogens. We aim to define the roles of cytosolic Nod-like receptors (NLR) in intestinal immunity and homeostasis. Upon activation, some NLR form inflammasomes that mediate the release of inflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death. NLR activation in the non-hematopoietic compartment was shown to be protective during acute intestinal infection. To identify the cell type responsible for this protection, we generated transgenic mice in which the key inflammasome adaptor molecule Asc is selectively ablated in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) (Asc^ΔVC) and observed that inflammasomes are important for controlling Citrobacter rodentium clearance in these mice. To further dissect the importance of pathogen clearance by IEC inflammasome, ex vivo cultures of primary IEC organoids were established. Thus far this system has revealed profound differences in inflammasome regulation between IEC organoids and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). This research will inform our understanding of cell type-specific regulation of inflammasomes.

A doença renal crônica é uma doença mediada pelo sistema imune e caracterizada por fibrose. Camundongos deficientes em TLR2, TLR4, MyD88 e NLRP3 se mostraram protegidos frente ao dano renal e à deposição de colágeno após serem submetidos à obstrução unilateral do ureter (UUO). Além disso, os camundongos protegidos exibiram menor produção de citocinas relacionadas com um perfil imune Th2 e apresentaram menor acúmulo de macrófagos do subtipo M2. Inicialmente, creditamos aos macrófagos M2 o papel de macrófagos formadores de fibrose uma vez que tal subpopulação é encontrada em maior número aos sete dias após a UUO em animais WT, porém, vimos que os personagens centrais no desenvolvimento da fibrose são macrófagos M1, encontrados no início da lesão renal. Também vimos que o ácido úrico é a molécula capaz de induzir a troca de fenótipo de M1 para M2 ao longo da UUO, além de ser capaz de ativar a via do inflamassoma. O ácido úrico solúvel é liberado em um contexto de hipóxia e ativa o complexo do inflamassoma NLRP3 por mecanismos diferentes, mas complementares. / Chronic kidney disease is an immune mediated disease characterized by fibrosis development. The damaged tissue releases molecules such as soluble uric acid resulting from the degradation of extracellular matrix or dead cells, which activate TLR and NLR, leading to the translocation of MyD88 in many cell types. This modulation of the immune system interferes with the activation of different subtypes of macrophages and activity of CD4+ T cells, with the Th1/Th2 paradigm as a possible effector mechanism of fibrosis. TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, and NLRP3 deficient mice are protected against renal damage and collagen deposition after being submitted to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), when compared to wild type animals. Moreover, protected mice exhibited less production of Th2 related cytokines and reduced accumulation of M2 macrophages. Initially, we hypothesized M2 macrophages are responsible for fibrosis formation since this subset is found in greater numbers seven days after UUO in WT mice, however, we observed the central characters on the development of fibrosis are M1 macrophages found in the onset of renal injury. These data were confirmed by the injection of Stat6 KO M1 macrophages into Rag deficient mice previously depleted of macrophages and subjected to UUO, in which we observed higher proteinuria and increased collagen deposition. We also observed that uric acid is able to induce the exchange of phenotype from M1 to M2 along the UUO, besides being able to activate the inflammasome pathway. The soluble uric acid is released in the context of hypoxia and activates the NLRP3 inflammasome complex by different, but complementary mechanisms. Therefore, the renal damage releases soluble uric acid, which signals via innate immune receptors, and the damage brings as a consequence the deposition of proteins in the renal interstitium, culminating in fibrosis.

JNK1 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1) has been studied in numerous biological phenomena, but its role in skin inflammation diseases has not been fully defined yet. We therefore evaluated the role of JNK1 in imiquimod-induced dermatitis, a classical model that shares many features with human psoriasis. We showed that JNK1 was necessary for the expression of inflammatory markers and for acanthosis induced by imiquimod. We demonstrated that the loss of JNK1 in dendritic cells or myeloid cells reduced inflammatory markers but did not affect acanthosis induced by imiquimod. In vitro experiments in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) supported the role of JNK1 in the activation of the inflammasome pathway by the Aldara® cream. Next, we observed that the loss of JNK1 in keratinocytes did not reduce imiquimod-induced expression of most inflammatory markers but acanthosis and proliferation of epidermal cells was decreased. To better understand the role of JNK1 in keratinocytes, we evaluated the transcriptome and the epigenomic landscape of JNK1-deficient epidermal cells from mice treated with imiquimod. These data highlighted the potential role of JNK1 downstream of the EGFR pathway. We further observed that the inhibition of the EGFR pathway decreased imiquimod-induced acanthosis. Our work shows the dual role of JNK1 in skin inflammation induced by imiquimod. On one hand, JNK1 influences the expression of inflammatory mediators by myeloid cells, probably through the inflammasome pathway. On the other hand, JNK1 modulates the response of keratinocytes to EGFR ligands. Taken together, these data suggest that JNK1 could represent a valuable therapeutic target for the management of psoriasis. / Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine) / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Inflammation is a biological defence mechanism applied by living organisms against foreign invaders. In the response to DAMPs and PAMPs, organisms use inflammatory multi-protein complexes to fight the attackers. The most studied inflammasome proteins are NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1. This study is aimed at understanding the role of NEK7 protein in the NLRP3 inflammasome’s activation, using CRISPR/Cas9 system. To determine the effect of CRISPR/Cas9 and transfection, mRNA expression was analyzed. The results obtained suggest that neither the transfection nor the NEK7 protein knockout have sufficiently worked. This study could not experimentally establish that NEK7 triggers NLRP3 inflammasome activation because ELISA was not conducted to verify the levels of cytokines emitted, due to there being no statistical differences between the samples. Above all, the research question in this thesis project was not answered because the instability of the ACTB reference gene negatively influenced the results. However, previous related studies conclude that NEK7 plays a crucial role in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

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Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an emerging pandemic, paralleling the worldwide increase in obesity and diabetes mellitus. DKD is now the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease and is associated with an excessive risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. DKD is a consequence of systemic endothelial dysfunction. The endothelial-dependent cytoprotective coagulation protease activated protein C (aPC) ameliorates glomerular damage in DKD, in part by reducing mitochondrial ROS generation in glomerular cells. Whether aPC reduces mitochondrial ROS generation in the tubular compartment remains unknown. Here, we conducted expression profiling of kidneys in diabetic mice (wild-type and mice with increased plasma levels of aPC, APChigh mice). The top induced pathways were related to metabolism and in particular to oxidoreductase activity. In tubular cells, aPC maintained the expression of genes related to the electron transport chain, PGC1-α expression, and mitochondrial mass. These effects were associated with reduced mitochondrial ROS generation. Likewise, NLRP3 inflammasome activation and sterile inflammation, which are known to be linked to excess ROS generation in DKD, were reduced in diabetic APChigh mice. Thus, aPC reduces mitochondrial ROS generation in tubular cells and dampens the associated renal sterile inflammation. These studies support approaches harnessing the cytoprotective effects of aPC in DKD.

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