Amino acids fuel FLS activation and arthritis by regulating chemokine expression and leukocyte migration

mTOR plays a significant role in synovial inflammation and suggests that dietary interventions and nutrient availability may influence arthritis severity and disease outcomes. In this study, we tested the effect of AA deprivation on the inflammatory activity of RA FLS and found that AAs specifically influence the expression of a gene set that regulates leukocyte chemotaxis. Using a murine model of inflammatory arthritis, we further demonstrate that low protein diet resulted in amelioration of objective measures of joint inflammation due to a reduced accumulation of inflammatory cells in their joints. Overall design: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes were stimulated with the prototypic inflammatory stimulus TNF in the presence or absence of AAs in the culture medium and analysed transcriptional responses by RNA-sequencing.