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Impaired Immunomodulatory Properties of the Retina from the Inflammatory Environment of the Damaged Eye

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Abstract

The retina represents a highly specialized structure with the primary function to capture a light signal and to convert it into electrical impulses. Any damage or disease of the retina can cause visual impairment. Since retinal degenerative diseases are generally associated with immune cell infiltration, a local inflammatory reaction, and cytokine burn, there is a need for mechanisms to prevent the retina from damage by a deleterious immune reaction. In this study, we show that mouse retinal explants co-cultivated with stimulated spleen cells, inhibit in a dose-dependent manner the activation of T cells, and suppress the production of cytokines interleukin-2, interleukin-10, and interferon-\(\gamma\). The immunoregulatory properties of the retina were mainly mediated by a paracrine effect since retinal explants, separated by a semipermeable membrane, or supernatants obtained after the cultivation of retinal explants, inhibited the reactivity of immune cells. A model of retinal damage was established by the application of sodium iodate which selectively destroys photoreceptors, as it was demonstrated by a decrease in the number of rhodopsin-positive cells. This process was accompanied by increased infiltration of the retina with cells of the immune system and by a local inflammatory reaction. The pharmacologically damaged retina had significantly decreased the ability to inhibit T cell activation and production of cytokines by immune cells. Overall, the results showed that the retina possesses immunoregulatory properties and inhibits the activation and functions of T cells. However, the immunomodulatory properties of the retina are decreased if the retina is damaged.

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DATA AVAILABILITY

The data used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on request.

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Funding

This study was supported by a project No. 309621 from the Grant Agency of the Charles University, Prague.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic

    Katerina Palacka, Barbora Hermankova, Eliska Javorkova, Alena Zajicova & Vladimir Holan

  2. Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Katerina Palacka, Eliska Javorkova & Vladimir Holan

Authors
  1. Katerina Palacka
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  2. Barbora Hermankova
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  3. Eliska Javorkova
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  4. Alena Zajicova
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  5. Vladimir Holan
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Contributions

Vladimir Holan and Katerina Palacka planned the experiments and wrote the manuscript. Katerina Palacka, Barbora Hermankova, Eliska Javorkova, and Alena Zajicova performed the experiments and analyzed data. All the authors read and approved the final version of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Vladimir Holan.

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Palacka, K., Hermankova, B., Javorkova, E. et al. Impaired Immunomodulatory Properties of the Retina from the Inflammatory Environment of the Damaged Eye. Inflammation 46, 2320–2331 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-023-01880-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-023-01880-9

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