Reduction, NFAT/AP-1 complex formation leads to Suppression, IL-2 and IL-4 production

CNIs are reported to suppress IL-17 release from Th17 cells and development of Th17 cells from naïve T cells (Tsuda et al, 2012).  On the other hand, Yadav reported that Th17 cells increased and Treg cells decreased in number and that the levels of RORC mRNA increased and those of FOXP3 decreased in renal transplanted patients with chronic calcineurin inhibitor toxicity (Yadav, 2015). From these findings, CNIs suppress the functions of Th17 and Treg cells，which enhance Th17 cells to develop chronic CNI toxicity.

FK506 suppresses expression of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R: CD25) and costimulatory molecules CD80 (B7.1)/CD40 in Langerhans cells (Panhans-Gross A et al. 2001).

In human NK cells, FK506 suppresses IL-2 responsive proliferation and cytokine production as well as lowers cytotoxicity directed toward K562 tumor cells (Kim et al. 2010). FK506 suppresses IL-2 production of NKT cell line DN32.D3 induced by stimulus from PMA/calcium -ionophore (van Dieren et al. 2010).

The relationship between these FK506-induced mechanisms and NFAT and contribution of those to TDAR are unclear.

In addition to NFAT/AP-1 complexes, NFAT forms complexes at the site of IL-3 and IL-4 enhancers with avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog, early growth response 1, early growth response 4, interferon-regulatory factor 4, octamer-binding transcription factor, and other transcriptional partners to induce transcription of a variety of cytokines (Macian 2005). The production of cytokine induced by these transcriptional partners also suppressed by CNI; however, contribution of these additional transcription factors to TDAR is also unclear.

In purified T cells from male C57BL/6J mice, T-5224 (a selective c-Fos/AP-1 inhibitor) inhibits the DNA-binding activity of AP-1 at 80 μg/mL. On the other hand, T-5224 inhibits IL-2 production in a dose-dependent manner from 40, 60 and 80 μg/mL after 48 hours culture. T-5224 also inhibits CD25 (IL-2R) up-regulation at 80 μg/mL (Yoshida et al. 2015).

In splenic lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A for 24 h in C57BL/6 mice, ursolic acid suppressed products of NF-kB, NFAT and AP-1 at 5 μM. In lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A for 24 h, ursolic acid inhibits secretion of IL-2 and IL-4 at 0.5, 1 and 5 μM. In lymphocytes and CD4+ T cells stimulated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAb for 24 h, ursolic acid also inhibits secretion of IL-2 and IL-4 at 5 μM. In CD4+ T cells stimulated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAb for 24 h, ursolic acid suppressed mRNA level of IL-2 at 5 μM. In lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A for 24 h, ursolic acid inhibited CD25 expression at 5 μM (Checker et al. 2012).

These findings showed that T-5244 and ursolic acid treated for 24 hours inhibit NFAT/AP-1 complex formation at a single concentration each and that these compounds suppress IL-2 and IL-4 production with dose dependent manner including the doses for inhibition of NFAT/AP-1 complex formation.

FK506 suppressed proliferation in human T cells induced by anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of adherent autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mean IC50 = 0.06 nM). FK506 suppressed, in a dose-dependent (1.2 to 12.5 nM) manner after 22-24 hours culture, production of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ by human T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of PMA, as well as inhibited, also in a dose-dependent (10 nM) manner, expression of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ mRNA in anti-CD3/PMA- activated cells (Dumont et al. 1998). On the other hand, the quantitative data for the decreased formation of NFAT/AP-1 complexes by CNI is insufficient, although the formation was suppressed by FK506 at the concentration within the range needed for suppressed production of IL2/IL-4 by FK506 after 2 hours culture.

Inhibition of NFAT/AP-1 complex is detected by gel mobility shit assay after 2 hours culture with CNI; however, suppression of IL2/IL-4 could be measured after 22-48 hours in vitro culture.

At present, no evidence is found.