Inflammation-Induced Th17 Cells Synergize with the Inflammation-Trained Microbiota to Mediate Host Resiliency Against Intestinal Injury

Abstract

Background and aims: Inflammation can generate pathogenic Th17 cells and cause an inflammatory dysbiosis. In the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), these inflammatory Th17 cells and dysbiotic microbiota may perpetuate injury to intestinal epithelial cells. However, many models of IBD like T-cell transfer colitis and IL-10-/- mice rely on the absence of regulatory pathways, so it is difficult to tell if inflammation can also induce protective Th17 cells.

Methods: We subjected C57BL6, RAG1-/-, or JH-/- mice to systemic or gastrointestinal (GI) Citrobacter rodentium (Cr). Mice were then subjected to 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to cause epithelial injury. Fecal microbiota transfer was performed by bedding transfer and co-housing. Flow cytometry, qPCR, and histology were used to assess mucosal and systemic immune responses, cytokines, and tissue inflammation. 16s sequencing was used to assess gut bacterial taxonomy.

Results: Transient inflammation with GI but not systemic Cr was protective against subsequent intestinal injury. This was replicated with sequential DSS collectively indicating that transient inflammation provides tissue-specific protection. Inflammatory Th17 cells that have a tissue-resident memory (TRM) signature expanded in the intestine. Experiments with reconstituted RAG1-/-, JH-/- mice, and cell trafficking inhibitors showed that inflammation-induced Th17 cells were required for protection. Fecal microbiota transfer showed that the inflammation-trained microbiota was necessary for protection, likely by maintaining protective Th17 cells in situ.

Conclusion: Inflammation can generate protective Th17 cells that synergize with the inflammation-trained microbiota to provide host resiliency against subsequent injury, indicating that inflammation-induced Th17 TRM T cells are heterogenous and contain protective subsets.

Keywords: Th17 cells; host resiliency; inflammation-trained microbiota; inflammatory bowel disease; meta-organism; tissue-resident memory T-cells.