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  • Enriched environment regula...
    Xiao, Run; Bergin, Stephen M.; Huang, Wei; Mansour, Anthony G; Liu, Xianglan; Judd, Ryan T; Widstrom, Kyle J.; Queen, Nicholas J.; Wilkins, Ryan K.; Siu, Jason J.; Ali, Seemaab; Caligiuri, Michael A.; Cao, Lei

    Brain, behavior, and immunity, 01/2019, Letnik: 75
    Journal Article

    •Environmental enrichment (EE) modulates thymocyte maturation and selection in mice.•Hypothalamic BDNF mediates the EE-induced thymic phenotypes.•Adrenalectomy and thymocyte glucocorticoid receptor knockout block EE’s thymic effects.•EE protects mice against autoimmune EAE via regulation of type 1 T helper cells.•Adoptive transfer and thymocyte GR knockout link EE thymic modulation to EAE outcome. Environmental and social factors have profound impacts on immune homeostasis. Our work on environmental enrichment (EE) has revealed a novel anti-obesity and anticancer phenotype associated with enhanced activity of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid tissues. Here we investigated how an EE modulated thymus and thymocyte development. EE decreased thymus mass and cellularity, decreased the double positive thymocyte population, increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells, reduced the CD4:CD8 ratio, and downregulated CD69 expression in T cells. In a model of multiple sclerosis: experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), EE alleviated symptoms, inhibited spinal cord inflammation through regulation of type 1 T-helper cells mediated by glucocorticoid receptor signaling, and prevented EAE-induced thymic disturbance. Our mechanistic studies demonstrated that hypothalamic BDNF activated a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis mediating the EE’s thymic effects. Our results indicate that a lifestyle intervention links the nervous, endocrine, and adaptive immune system, allowing the body to adapt to internal and external environments.