Skin gamma delta T cells in Obesity

Epithelial cells provide an initial line of defense against damage and pathogens in barrier tissues such as the skin; however this balance is disrupted in obesity and metabolic disease. Skin gamma delta T cells recognize epithelial damage and release cytokines and growth factors that facilitate wound repair. To determine the impact of obesity and metabolic disease on skin gamma delta T cells, we isolated skin gamma delta T cells from 10-week old C57BLKS/J lean db/+ and obese db/db animals for further study. Due to a deficiency in the leptin receptor (db), homozygous db/db animals do not process satiety signals, continually eat and develop severe obesity and metabolic disease. Skin gamma delta T cells isolated from these animals were compared for changes in mRNA expression using microarray. We have determined that obesity and metabolic disease negatively impacts homeostasis and functionality of skin gamma delta T cells, rendering host defense mechanisms vulnerable to injury and infection. The goal of this experiment was to compare skin gamma delta T cells in a control mouse to skin gamma delta T cells isolated from an obese mouse to see what homeostatic changes occur in obesity and metabolic disease. gamma delta T cells were isolated from two 10-week old lean db/+ control and two 10-week old obese db/db animals for comparison. We wanted to determine which growth factors and signaling pathways were altered in skin gamma delta T cells residing in the obese environment.

上皮细胞是皮肤等屏障组织抵御损伤与病原体入侵的第一道防线，但肥胖与代谢性疾病会打破这一平衡。皮肤γδ T细胞（gamma delta T cells）可识别上皮损伤，并释放促进伤口修复的细胞因子与生长因子。为探究肥胖与代谢性疾病对皮肤γδ T细胞的影响，本研究从10周龄的C57BLKS/J品系瘦型db/+与肥胖型db/db小鼠中分离皮肤γδ T细胞开展后续实验。由于瘦素受体（leptin receptor）存在db突变，纯合子db/db小鼠无法传递饱食信号，会持续进食并进展为重度肥胖与代谢性疾病。本研究采用基因芯片技术，对分离得到的各组小鼠皮肤γδ T细胞的mRNA表达变化进行比较分析。经研究确认，肥胖与代谢性疾病会对皮肤γδ T细胞的稳态与功能产生负面影响，使宿主防御机制更易受到损伤与感染的侵袭。本实验的研究目标为对比对照组小鼠与肥胖小鼠的皮肤γδ T细胞，以明确肥胖与代谢性疾病状态下皮肤γδ T细胞发生的稳态改变。本次实验共从2只10周龄瘦型db/+对照小鼠与2只10周龄肥胖型db/db小鼠中分离皮肤γδ T细胞用于组间对照。本研究旨在明确处于肥胖微环境中的皮肤γδ T细胞内，哪些生长因子与信号通路发生了表达改变。