Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Purpose
To investigate IL-17 related mechanisms for developing dry eye disease in the Pinkie mouse strain with a loss of function RXRα mutation.Methods
Measures of dry eye disease were assessed in the cornea and conjunctiva. Expression profiling was performed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to compare gene expression in conjunctival immune cells. Conjunctival immune cells were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The activity of RXRα ligand 9-cis retinoic acid (RA) was evaluated in cultured monocytes and γδ T cells.Results
Compared to wild type (WT) C57BL/6, Pinkie has increased signs of dry eye disease, including decreased tear volume, corneal barrier disruption, corneal/conjunctival cornification and goblet cell loss, and corneal vascularization, opacification, and ulceration with aging. ScRNA-seq of conjunctival immune cells identified γδ T cells as the predominant IL-17 expressing population in both strains and there is a 4-fold increased percentage of γδ T cells in Pinkie. Compared to WT, IL-17a, and IL-17f significantly increased in Pinkie with conventional T cells and γδ T cells as the major producers. Flow cytometry revealed an increased number of IL-17+ γδ T cells in Pinkie. Tear concentration of the IL-17 inducer IL-23 is significantly higher in Pinkie. 9-cis RA treatment suppresses stimulated IL-17 production by γδ T and stimulatory activity of monocyte supernatant on γδ T cell IL-17 production. Compared to WT bone marrow chimeras, Pinkie chimeras have increased IL-17+ γδ T cells in the conjunctiva after desiccating stress and anti-IL-17 treatment suppresses dry eye induced corneal MMP-9 production/activity and conjunctival goblet cell loss.Conclusion
These findings indicate that RXRα suppresses generation of dry eye disease-inducing IL-17 producing lymphocytes s in the conjunctiva and identifies RXRα as a potential therapeutic target in dry eye.
SUBMITTER: Alam J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8983848 | biostudies-literature | 2022
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Frontiers in medicine 20220323
<h4>Purpose</h4>To investigate IL-17 related mechanisms for developing dry eye disease in the Pinkie mouse strain with a loss of function RXRα mutation.<h4>Methods</h4>Measures of dry eye disease were assessed in the cornea and conjunctiva. Expression profiling was performed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to compare gene expression in conjunctival immune cells. Conjunctival immune cells were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The activity of RXRα ligand 9-cis ...[more]