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Macrophage-glia interactions regulate immune-damage to enteric neurons during West Nile virus infection [4]

ABSTRACT: Functional gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders affect a substantial proportion of the global population and are often preceded by intestinal infections that cause injury to enteric neurons and glia through unrestrained immune responses. However, the mechanisms that limit infection-induced inflammation and protect the enteric nervous system remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated neuron-glia-macrophage interactions after West Nile virus (WNV) infection, a model neurotropic virus that causes GI tract dysmotility via injury of enteric neurons through a T cell-mediated cytolytic mechanism. In response to WNV infection, resident muscularis macrophages upregulate antiviral, proinflammatory, and immunomodulatory genes. However, pharmacological depletion of resident macrophages did not affect viral burden in the GI tract, but rather reshaped the enteric glial response to WNV, resulting in excessive production of T cell and neutrophil chemoattractants. This amplified recruitment of immune cells worsened enteric neuronal injury. Together, our findings identify resident muscularis macrophages as key regulators of glia-driven inflammation during enteric viral infection and reveal their role in protecting enteric neurons from immune-mediated damage.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE315460 | GEO | 2026/02/19

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background: Current studies provide compelling evidence that the enteric nervous system and neighboring resident macrophages in the muscularis externa modulate neuroimmune processes in the gut after abdominal surgery. While substantial knowledge exists about macrophage-enteric glia interactions, the fate of enteric neurons, which have an indispensable role in gut homeostasis and gastrointestinal motility, has not been thoroughly investigated during enteric neuroinflammation. Therefore, we investigated the impact of enteric neuron-macrophage interactions on postoperative trauma and subsequent motility disturbances, i.e., postoperative ileus. Methods: Neuroinflammation and postoperative ileus were induced in various transgenic mice by surgical manipulation of the small intestine. We studied enteric neurons and macrophage-specific transcriptomes using bulk RNA-Seq in neuron-specific RiboTag mice and sorted CX3CR1-GFP+ macrophages. To investigate their intercellular communication, we treated CX3CR1-GFP+ mice with CSFR1-antibody to deplete macrophages and subsequently induce POI through surgical trauma. These mice were examined for gastrointestinal motility, immune cell infiltration, and neuronal function. Ultimately, we validated the murine data in human gut samples collected early and late during abdominal surgery to understand the impact of surgical manipulation on patients' enteric nervous system function. Results: We detected strong neuronal activation in the early postsurgical phase, followed, after 24h, by transcriptional signatures of neuronal proliferation, neuronal death, and synaptic degradation. Neuron-specific transcriptome analysis confirmed these changes and verified the neuronal responses to the inflammatory environment. Simultaneously, our study revealed a neurodegenerative profile in macrophage-specific transcriptomes during POI. Depletion of macrophages before surgical manipulation led to decreased neuronal death, less synaptic decay, and improved GI motility, emphasizing the essential role of macrophages in neurodegeneration during intestinal neuroinflammation. In human jejunal muscularis externa samples, taken at early and late stages of pancreatectomies, we detected reactive and dying neurons with dysregulated gene expression of synaptic signaling and neurogenic processes. Conclusion: Surgical trauma and acute intestinal inflammation activate enteric neurons and induce neurodegeneration with severe synaptic decay, predominantly mediated by resident macrophages. Future studies should focus on neuroprotective mechanisms to dampen neurodegeneration and promote faster recovery from postoperative inflammation and motility disturbances.

Project description:BACKGROUND Enteric glia contribute to the pathophysiology of various intestinal immune-driven diseases, such as postoperative ileus (POI), a motility disorder and common complication after abdominal surgery. Enteric gliosis of the intestinal muscularis externa (ME) has been identified as part of POI development. However, the glia-restricted responses and activation mechanisms are poorly understood. The sympathetic nervous system becomes rapidly activated by abdominal surgery. It modulates intestinal immunity, innervates all intestinal layers, and directly interfaces with enteric glia. We hypothesized that sympathetic innervation controls enteric glia reactivity in response to surgical trauma. METHODS Sox10iCreERT2/Rpl22HA/+ mice were subjected to a mouse model of laparotomy or intestinal manipulation to induce POI. Histological, protein, and transcriptomic analyses were performed to analyze glia-specific responses. Interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and enteric glia were studied in mice chemically depleted of TH+ sympathetic neurons and glial-restricted Sox10iCreERT2/JellyOPfl/+/Rpl22HA/+ mice, allowing optogenetic stimulation of β-adrenergic downstream signaling and glial-specific transcriptome analyses. A laparotomy model was used to study the effect of sympathetic signaling on enteric glia in the absence of intestinal manipulation. Mechanistic studies included adrenergic receptor expression profiling in vivo and in vitro and adrenergic agonism treatments of primary enteric glial cell cultures to elucidate the role of sympathetic signaling in acute enteric gliosis and POI. RESULTS With ~4000 differentially expressed genes, the most substantial enteric glia response occurs early after intestinal manipulation. During POI, enteric glia switch into a reactive state and continuously shape their microenvironment by releasing inflammatory and migratory factors. Sympathetic denervation reduced the inflammatory response of enteric glia in the early postoperative phase. Optogenetic and pharmacological stimulation of β-adrenergic downstream signaling triggered enteric glia reactivity. Finally, distinct adrenergic agonists revealed β-1/2 adrenoceptors as the molecular targets of sympathetic–driven enteric glial reactivity. CONCLUSIONS Enteric glia act as early responders during post-traumatic intestinal injury and inflammation. Intact sympathetic innervation and active β-adrenergic receptor signaling in enteric glia is a trigger of the immediate glial postoperative inflammatory response. With immune-activating cues originating from the sympathetic nervous system as early as the initial surgical incision, adrenergic signaling in enteric glia presents a promising target for preventing POI development.

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Macrophage-glia interactions regulate immune-damage to enteric neurons during West Nile virus infection [4]

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