Dataset Information

Type 2 cytokines pleiotropically modulate sensory nerve architecture and neuroimmune interactions to mediate itch [Human DRG]

ABSTRACT: Background: Anti-type 2 cytokine therapies represent promising interventions for chronic itch; however, their precise mechanisms in restoring nerve architecture and mitigating inflammation and pruritus remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic roles of IL-4, IL-13, and IL-31 in the pathophysiology of itch associated with type 2 inflammatory skin diseases. Methods: The effect of IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31 on neurite outgrowth and/or transcriptomic changes were analyzed in human and mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuronal cultures. Mouse ear pinnae were processed for histologic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses 4 days after intradermal injection of IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31. To evaluate functional correlations with neuronal responses, mice were subcutaneously challenged with IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31, and scratching behavior was monitored. Association between IL-4/IL-13–IL-4Rα axis and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) was evaluated through correlative analyses of human DRG transcriptomic changes and AD transcriptomic datasets (GSE130588 and BioMap consortium). Results: IL-4 and IL-13 promote mouse and human DRG sensory neuron growth, with effects similar to or greater than IL-31. In mice, intradermal IL-4, IL-13, and IL-31 increased epidermal nerve growth; however, only IL-4 and IL-13 induced hyperplasia and immune cell recruitment. Multi-omic analyses revealed that IL-4 and IL-13 have a broader impact on neuroimmune interactions than IL-31. In a murine DRG neuron-eosinophil co-culture, IL-4Rα blockade reduced neurite growth. IL-13 and IL-31 elicited acute scratching, demonstrating their roles as direct pruritogens; IL-4 synergistically enhanced IL-13-induced itch, resulting in greater pruritic responses than IL-31. Additionally, a set of itch-associated genes upregulated by IL-4 and IL-13 and downregulated by dupilumab-mediated IL-4Rα blockade in human DRG neuronal cultures showed positive correlation with AD severity. Conclusions: These findings establish the IL-4/IL-13–IL-4Rα axis as a key regulator of inflammatory skin nerve innervation, neuroimmune interactions, barrier integrity, and itch response, highlighting its mechanistic role in modulating sensory neuronal function and shaping the inflammatory microenvironment that drives itch pathophysiology.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE296776 | GEO | 2025/05/15

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Dataset's files

Source:

			Action	DRS
		Other

Items per page:

1 - 1 of 1

Similar Datasets

Project description:Background: Anti-type 2 cytokine therapies represent promising interventions for chronic itch; however, their precise mechanisms in restoring nerve architecture and mitigating inflammation and pruritus remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic roles of IL-4, IL-13, and IL-31 in the pathophysiology of itch associated with type 2 inflammatory skin diseases. Methods: The effect of IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31 on neurite outgrowth and/or transcriptomic changes were analyzed in human and mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuronal cultures. Mouse ear pinnae were processed for histologic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses 4 days after intradermal injection of IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31. To evaluate functional correlations with neuronal responses, mice were subcutaneously challenged with IL-4, IL-13, and/or IL-31, and scratching behavior was monitored. Association between IL-4/IL-13–IL-4Rα axis and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) was evaluated through correlative analyses of human DRG transcriptomic changes and AD transcriptomic datasets (GSE130588 and BioMap consortium). Results: IL-4 and IL-13 promote mouse and human DRG sensory neuron growth, with effects similar to or greater than IL-31. In mice, intradermal IL-4, IL-13, and IL-31 increased epidermal nerve growth; however, only IL-4 and IL-13 induced hyperplasia and immune cell recruitment. Multi-omic analyses revealed that IL-4 and IL-13 have a broader impact on neuroimmune interactions than IL-31. In a murine DRG neuron-eosinophil co-culture, IL-4Rα blockade reduced neurite growth. IL-13 and IL-31 elicited acute scratching, demonstrating their roles as direct pruritogens; IL-4 synergistically enhanced IL-13-induced itch, resulting in greater pruritic responses than IL-31. Additionally, a set of itch-associated genes upregulated by IL-4 and IL-13 and downregulated by dupilumab-mediated IL-4Rα blockade in human DRG neuronal cultures showed positive correlation with AD severity. Conclusions: These findings establish the IL-4/IL-13–IL-4Rα axis as a key regulator of inflammatory skin nerve innervation, neuroimmune interactions, barrier integrity, and itch response, highlighting its mechanistic role in modulating sensory neuronal function and shaping the inflammatory microenvironment that drives itch pathophysiology.

Project description:Selective stimulation of IL-4 receptor on smooth muscle induces airway hyper-responsiveness in mice. Abstract: Production of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 is increased in both human asthma and mouse asthma models and Stat6 activation by the common IL-4/IL-13R drives most mouse model pathophysiology, including airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, the precise cellular mechanisms through which IL-4Rα induces AHR remain unclear. Overzealous bronchial smooth muscle constriction is thought to underlie AHR in human asthma, but the smooth muscle contribution to AHR has never been directly assessed. Furthermore, differences in mouse vs. human airway anatomy and observations that selective IL-13 stimulation of Stat6 in airway epithelium induces murine AHR raise questions about the importance of direct IL-4R effects on smooth muscle in murine asthma models and relevance of these models to human asthma. Using transgenic mice in which smooth muscle is the only cell type that expresses or fails to express IL-4Rα, we demonstrate that direct smooth muscle activation by IL-4, IL-13, or allergen is sufficient, but not necessary, to induce AHR and show that 5 genes known to promote smooth muscle migration, proliferation and contractility are activated by IL-13 in smooth muscle in vivo. These observations demonstrate that IL-4Rα promotes AHR through multiple mechanisms and provide a model for testing smooth muscle-directed asthma therapeutics. For the microarray aspect of of the study, there were three groups of mice: 1. IL4R gene knockout (KO) mice 2. WT mice 3. IL4R KO mice that were also transgenic for a gene construct that expressed IL4R under the control of the smooth muscle-specific promoter from the SMP8 gene All mice were subjected to intratracheal IL13 exposure for 7 days, and whole lung RNA was prepared for microarray analysis 24 hours after the last instillation. Per treatment and genotype: Two RNA pools were made from four mice each. These were labeled and hybridized to make a total of 6 microarrays. RNA was labeled with the standard Affymetrix 3' labeling protocol to make cDNA that was hybridized to Mouse MOE 430 plus 2.0 GeneChips. Gene transcripts were identified that differed in their relative expression as a function of IL4R expression on the smooth muscle cells.

Dataset Information

Type 2 cytokines pleiotropically modulate sensory nerve architecture and neuroimmune interactions to mediate itch [Human DRG]

Dataset's files

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets