Notch Signaling Promotes Development of Allergic Rhinitis by Suppressing Foxp3 Expression and Treg Cell Differentiation

Abstract

Background: The Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating human immune function, but the relationship between allergic rhinitis (AR) and Notch signaling remains unclear. Objective: To investigate the role of Notch signaling in the pathogenesis of AR and its regulation on Foxp3-Treg cells. Method: The sera of 100 patients with AR and 50 controls were collected to assess the differences in Notch1, Jagged1, and DLL1 (Delta-like 1) expression. Experimental mice were divided into normal control, AR, Notch inhibitor, and dexamethasone groups. Allergic symptoms, total IgE levels, and the proportion of Treg cells in the peripheral blood were detected. Notch1, Jagged1, NICD (Notch intracellular domain, also known as ICN), and Foxp3 expression and Th1/Th2/Th17-related cytokines in the spleen were detected and compared between each group of mice. Results: Compared with the control group, the expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 in patients with AR was significantly elevated (p < 0.05). The expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 in patients with severe AR was higher than that observed in the mild to moderate AR patients and positively correlated with the levels of allergen sIgE (p < 0.05). The animal experiments revealed that compared with the normal control group, the expression of Notch1, Jagged1, and NICD in the AR group was increased, Foxp3 expression was decreased, and the proportion of Treg cells was decreased (p < 0.05). Compared with the AR group, allergic symptoms and total serum IgE levels and the expression of Notch1, Jagged1, and NICD were significantly decreased in the Notch inhibited group, whereas the expression of Foxp3 and the proportion of Treg cells were increased significantly (p < 0.05). The Th2-type immune responses were also enhanced and Th1-type immune responses decreased in the AR group, but the Th1/Th2 imbalance was reversed in the Notch inhibited group. Conclusion: Notch signaling downregulates Foxp3 expression and inhibits the differentiation of Treg cells to promote the development of AR. Blocking Notch signaling may be a potential treatment for AR.

Interplay between MicroRNAs and Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…The Notch pathway is among important cellular processes that can be associated with oxidative stress [93,94,95]. The Notch-HEY2 pathway in the hippocampal neurons of AD mice was activated with the downregulation of miR-98-5p compared to normal hippocampal neurons.…”

Decreasing lncRNA PVT1 causes Treg/Th17 imbalance via NOTCH signaling in immune thrombocytopenia

“…The Notch signaling pathway can regulate the fate of T lymphocytes and participate in T cell differentiation [27,28]. In addition, the Notch signaling pathway also inhibits Treg cell differentiation and regulates Treg/Th17 balance [29,30]. Furthermore, the NOTCH pathway is involved in ITP, and inhibition of Notch signaling activation can reverse the imbalance of Treg/Th17 cells in ITP, suggesting that blocking the NOTCH1 pathway may be an effective target for the treatment of ITP [31,32].…”

New concepts in pediatric rhinitis

“…15 More recently, the Notch signaling pathway that downregulates FOXp3 expression and differentiation of Treg was significantly elevated in AR patients. 16 Studies on the role of B cells in the pathogenesis of AR indicate a significant skewing of the circulating B-cell population toward memory B cells with markedly increased expression of CD23, which facilitate antigen presentation and IgE synthesis in AR patients 17 ; nevertheless, other studies were not confirmatory of differences in B-regulatory cell populations or IL-10 production. 18 AR patients were shown to exhibit an increased number of specific sets of activated neutrophils-CD16 high CD62L dim-, either locally or systematically, resulting in T-cell priming and enhancing eosinophil migration.…”