Nippostrongylus-induced intestinal hypercontractility requires IL-4 receptor alpha-responsiveness by T cells in mice.

ABSTRACT: Gut-dwelling helminthes induce potent IL-4 and IL-13 dominated type 2 T helper cell (T(H)2) immune responses, with IL-13 production being essential for Nippostrongylus brasiliensis expulsion. This T(H)2 response results in intestinal inflammation associated with local infiltration by T cells and macrophages. The resulting increased IL-4/IL-13 intestinal milieu drives goblet cell hyperplasia, alternative macrophage activation and smooth muscle cell hypercontraction. In this study we investigated how IL-4-promoted T cells contributed to the parasite induced effects in the intestine. This was achieved using pan T cell-specific IL-4 receptor alpha-deficient mice (iLck(cre)IL-4Rα(-/lox)) and IL-4Rα-responsive control mice. Global IL-4Rα(-/-) mice showed, as expected, impaired type 2 immunity to

SUBMITTER: Schmidt S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3527412 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature