Regulation of Notch Signaling Pathway to Innate Lymphoid Cells in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

ABSTRACT

The Notch signaling pathway is an important regulator in fate decisions and immune responses of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). However, the function of Notch signaling in ILCs in acute coronary syndrome is still not fully elucidated. Thirty-one unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients, 21 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, and 20 controls were included in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated. The mRNA expression levels of Notch receptors and ligands were measured by real-time PCR, while ILC subsets were measured by flow cytometry. Lin⁻ cells were purified and stimulated with γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI). ILC subsets, transcription factors, and secreted cytokines were assessed. Notch receptor and ligand mRNA levels were elevated in PBMCs and peripheral lin⁻ cells from AMI patients. There was no significant difference in total lin⁻CD45⁺CD161⁺CD127⁺ ILC frequency among three groups. The CRTH2⁻CD117⁻ ILC1 subset was down-regulated, while the CRTH2⁺ ILC2 subset was up-regulated in AMI patients. The CRTH2⁻CD117⁺ ILC3 subpopulation was comparable among the three groups. ILC1% was negatively correlated with Notch1 and Notch2 in AMI patients. Inhibition of Notch signaling pathway by GSI induced elevations in ILC1 frequency, T-bet mRNA expression, and interferon-γ secretion and reduced ILC2 frequency, GATA3 mRNA levels, and interleukin-5/interleukin-13 production by lin⁻ cells from AMI patients. The current data indicated that activation of Notch signaling pathway might contribute to ILC1-to-ILC2 shift in peripheral blood in AMI patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute coronary syndrome
• acute myocardial infarction
• innate lymphoid cells
• Notch signaling pathway

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author Haiwen Yu upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.