Blockade of Wntβ-Catenin Pathway Aggravated Silica-Induced Lung Inflammation through Tregs Regulation on Th Immune Responses

Abstract EN

CD4+ T cells play an important role in regulating silica-induced inflammation and fibrosis.

Recent studies showed that Wnt/β-catenin pathway could modulate the function and the differentiation of CD4+ T cells.

Therefore, Wnt/β-catenin pathway may participate in the development and progress of silicosis.

To investigate the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, we used lentivirus expressing β-catenin shRNA to block the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by intratracheal instillation to the mice model of silicosis.

Treatment of lentivirus could significantly aggravate the silica-induced lung inflammation and attenuated the fibrosis at the late stage.

By analyzing CD4+ T cells, we found that blockade of Wnt/β-catenin pathway suppressed regulatory T cells (Tregs).

Reciprocally, enhanced Th17 response was responsible for the further accumulation of neutrophils and production of proinflammatory cytokines.

In addition, blockade of Wnt/β-catenin pathway delayed the Th1/Th2 polarization by inhibiting Tregs and Th2 response.

These results indicated that Wnt/β-catenin pathway could regulate Tregs to modulate Th immune response, which finally altered the pathological character of silicosis.

Our study suggested that Wnt/β-catenin pathway might be a potential target to treat the silica-induced inflammation and fibrosis.