Follicular regulatory helper T cells control the response of regulatory B cells to a high-cholesterol diet

Cardiovasc Res. 2021 Feb 22;117(3):743-755. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa069.

Abstract

Aims: B cell functions in the process of atherogenesis have been investigated but several aspects remain to be clarified.

Methods and results: In this study, we show that follicular regulatory helper T cells (TFR) control regulatory B cell (BREG) populations in Apoe-/- mice models on a high-cholesterol diet (HCD). Feeding mice with HCD resulted in up-regulation of TFR and BREG cell populations, causing the suppression of proatherogenic follicular helper T cell (TFH) response. TFH cell modulation is correlated with the growth of atherosclerotic plaque size in thoracoabdominal aortas and aortic root plaques, suggesting that TFR cells are atheroprotective. During adoptive transfer experiments, TFR cells transferred into HCD mice decreased TFH cell populations, atherosclerotic plaque size, while BREG cell population and lymphangiogenesis are significantly increased.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that, through different strategies, both TFR and TFH cells modulate anti- and pro-atherosclerotic immune processes in an Apoe-/- mice model since TFR cells are able to regulate both TFH and BREG cell populations as well as lymphangiogenesis and lipoprotein metabolism.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Follicular helper T cell (TFH); Follicular regulatory helper T cells (TFR); Lymphangiogenesis; Regulatory B cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Aorta / immunology*
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Aortic Diseases / immunology*
  • Aortic Diseases / metabolism
  • Aortic Diseases / pathology
  • Atherosclerosis / immunology*
  • Atherosclerosis / metabolism
  • Atherosclerosis / pathology
  • B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / transplantation
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cholesterol, Dietary*
  • Diet, High-Fat*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Lymphangiogenesis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout, ApoE
  • Phenotype
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic*
  • T Follicular Helper Cells / immunology*
  • T Follicular Helper Cells / metabolism
  • T Follicular Helper Cells / transplantation

Substances

  • Cholesterol, Dietary