Blood pressure regulation by CD4⁺ lymphocytes expressing choline acetyltransferase.

ABSTRACT: Blood pressure regulation is known to be maintained by a neuro-endocrine circuit, but whether immune cells contribute to blood pressure homeostasis has not been determined. We previously showed that CD4⁺ T lymphocytes that express choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which catalyzes the synthesis of the vasorelaxant acetylcholine, relay neural signals. Here we show that these CD4⁺CD44^hiCD62L^lo T helper cells by gene expression are a distinct T-cell population defined by ChAT (CD4 T_ChAT). Mice lacking ChAT expression in CD4⁺ cells have elevated arterial blood pressure, compared to littermate controls. Jurkat T cells overexpressing ChAT (JT_ChAT) decreased blood pressure when infused into mice. Co-incubation of JT_C

SUBMITTER: Olofsson PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5513182 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature