Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation Is Mediated by IL-17 and Attenuated by Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 126; no. 11; pp. S38 - S45
• Main Authors: SHARMA, Ashish K, GUANYI LU, KRON, Irving L, LAUBACH, Victor E, MURPHY, Michael P, AILAWADI, Gorav, UPCHURCH, Gilbert R, JESTER, Andrea, JOHNSTON, William F, YUNGE ZHAO, HAJZUS, Vanessa A, REZA SAADATZADEH, M, GANG SU, BHAMIDIPATI, Castigliano M, MEHTA, Gaurav S
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 11.09.2012
• Subjects: Animals; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - chemically induced; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - genetics; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - metabolism; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - pathology; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - physiopathology; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - secretion; Crosses, Genetic; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Disease Models, Animal; Diseases of the aorta; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Immunomodulation; Interleukin-17 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-17 - deficiency; Interleukin-17 - genetics; Interleukin-17 - physiology; Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 - deficiency; Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - physiopathology; Pancreatic Elastase - toxicity; Transplantation, Heterologous; stem cells; Treatment; lymphocytes; Stem cell; Interleukin; Cytokine; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammation; Aortic aneurysm; Lymphocyte; abdominal aortic aneurysm; interleukins
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.111.083451

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation is characterized by inflammation, smooth muscle activation and matrix degradation. This study tests the hypothesis that CD4+ T-cell-produced IL-17 modulates inflammation and smooth muscle cell activation, leading to the pathogenesis of AAA and that human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment can attenuate IL-17 production and AAA formation. Human aortic tissue demonstrated a significant increase in IL-17 and IL-23 expression in AAA patients compared with control subjects as analyzed by RT-PCR and ELISA. AAA formation was assessed in C57BL/6 (wild-type; WT), IL-23(-/-) or IL-17(-/-) mice using an elastase-perfusion model. Heat-inactivated elastase was used as control. On days 3, 7, and 14 after perfusion, abdominal aorta diameter was measured by video micrometry, and aortic tissue was analyzed for cytokines, cell counts, and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells. Aortic diameter and cytokine production (MCP-1, RANTES, KC, TNF-α, MIP-1α, and IFN-γ) was significantly attenuated in elastase-perfused IL-17(-/-) and IL-23(-/-) mice compared with WT mice on day 14. Cellular infiltration (especially IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells) was significantly attenuated in elastase-perfused IL-17(-/-) mice compared with WT mice on day 14. Primary aortic smooth muscle cells were significantly activated by elastase or IL-17 treatment. Furthermore, MSC treatment significantly attenuated AAA formation and IL-17 production in elastase-perfused WT mice. These results demonstrate that CD4+ T-cell-produced IL-17 plays a critical role in promoting inflammation during AAA formation and that immunomodulation of IL-17 by MSCs can offer protection against AAA formation.