Biology subjects

Domingos, A. I.

Publications and source records attributed to Domingos, A. I..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Sympathetic neuron-derived NPY protects from obesity by sustaining the mural progenitors of thermogenic adipocytes.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is secreted by sympathetic nerves1,2, but its direct impact on thermogenic adipocytes is unknown. Here we uncover the mechanism by which peripheral NPY protects from obesity. Our imaging of cleared murine brown and white adipose tissue (BAT and WAT) established that NPY+ sympathetic axons are only a minority that mostly maps to the peri-vasculature; our analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets identifies mural cells as the main NPY-responsive cells in adipose tissues. We show that NPY sustains mural cells, which are known to be a source of beige cells in both BAT and WAT3-5 and that NPY facilitates the differentiation to thermogenic adipocytes. We found that diet-induced-obesity leads to neuropathy of NPY+ axons and concomitant depletion of the mural cell pool of beige fat progenitors. This defect is replicated in conditional knockout (cKO) mice with NPY specifically abrogated from sympathetic neurons. These cKO mice have whitened BAT with reduced thermogenic ability and lower energy expenditure even before the onset of obesity; they develop adult-onset obesity on a regular chow diet and are more susceptible to diet induced obesity without increasing food consumption. Our results indicate that, relative to central NPY, peripheral NPY produced by the sympathetic nerves has the opposite effect on body weight homeostasis by sustaining the proliferation of the mural cell progenitors of thermogenic adipocytes.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Sexually dimorphic regulatory T cell-derived enkephalin imparts pregnancy-induced analgesia

T cells have emerged as sex-dependent orchestrators of pain chronification but the sexually dimorphic mechanisms by which T cells control pain sensitivity is not resolved. Here, we demonstrate an influence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on pain processing that is distinct from their canonical functions of immune regulation and tissue repair. Specifically, meningeal Tregs (mTregs) express the endogenous opioid, enkephalin, and mTreg-derived enkephalin exerts an antinociceptive action through a presynaptic opioid receptor signaling mechanism that is dispensable for immunosuppression. We demonstrate that mTregs are both necessary and sufficient to suppress mechanical pain sensitivity in female, but not male, mice, with this modulation reliant on sex hormones. These results uncover a fundamental sex-specific, and immunologically- derived endogenous opioid circuit for nociceptive regulation with critical implications for pain biology. Highlights1. Gating of allodynia by meningeal Tregs is sex hormone-dependent 3. Treg-derived enkephalin modulates mechanical pain sensitivity, not inflammation 4. Delta opioid receptor on MrgprD+ sensory neuron mediates pain processing by mTregs

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

MARCO in alveolar macrophages negatively regulates Ace expression and aldosterone production

Aldosterone is a potent cholesterol-derived steroid hormone that plays a major role in controlling blood pressure via regulation of blood volume. The release of aldosterone is typically controlled by the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system, situated in the adrenal glands, kidneys, and lungs. Here, we reveal that the class A scavenger receptor MARCO, expressed on alveolar macrophages, negatively regulates aldosterone production and suppresses angiotensin converting enzyme (Ace) expression in the lungs of male mice. Collectively, our findings point to alveolar macrophages as additional players in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and introduce a novel example of interplay between the immune and endocrine systems.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

Distinct adrenal gland macrophages regulate corticosteroid production

The adrenal glands are hormone secreting glands that sit on top of the kidneys. Adrenal glands produce glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and catecholamines, and are therefore critical regulators of the stress response, the immune response, metabolism, and blood pressure. Despite being identified for more that 30 years, our understanding of adrenal macrophages remains incomplete. In numerous other tissues, macrophages carry out a plethora of physiological and homeostatic roles in addition to their classical immune functions. The aim of this study was to characterise the macrophage compartment of the adrenal gland and assess its contribution to adrenal function. Using an in vivo approach, we herein describe two morphologically and spatially distinct subsets of adrenal macrophages - dendritic-like macrophages that are present throughout the gland in young and old mice, and "foamy" lipid-laden macrophages that accumulate in the murine adrenal cortex in an age and diet-dependent manner. Furthermore, we present data showing that these foamy-like macrophages accumulate cholesterol and thereby regulate adrenal hormonal output, at steady state and in the context of obesity. We hereby provide novel insights into the physiological roles of macrophages in the adrenal gland and the mechanisms by which adrenal hormone production is regulated.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

Immunomodulatory Leptin Receptor+ Sympathetic Perineurial Cells Protect Against Obesity by Facilitating Neuroendocrine-Mediated Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis

Adipose tissues (ATs) are innervated by sympathetic nerves, which drive reduction of fat mass via lipolysis and thermogenesis. Here, we report a population of immunomodulatory leptin receptor (LepR)-expressing barrier cells which ensheath sympathetic axon bundles in adipose tissues. These LepR-expressing Sympathetic Perineurial Cells (SPCs) produce IL33, a factor for maintenance and recruitment of regulatory T cell (Treg) and eosinophils in AT. Brown adipose tissues (BAT) of mice lacking IL33 in SPCs (SPCIL33cKO) have fewer Treg and eosinophils, resulting in increased BAT inflammation. SPCIL33cKO mice are more susceptible to diet-induced obesity, independently of food intake. Furthermore, SPCIL33cKO mice have impaired adaptive thermogenesis, and are unresponsive to leptin-induced rescue of metabolic adaptation. We, therefore, identify LepR-expressing SPCs as a source of IL33 which orchestrate an anti-inflammatory environment in BAT, preserving sympathetic-mediated thermogenesis and body weight homeostasis. LepR+ IL33+ SPCs provide a cellular link between leptin and immune regulation of body weight, unifying neuroendocrinology and immunometabolism as previously disconnected fields of obesity research. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=86 SRC="FIGDIR/small/539963v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (30K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@195fa69org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16b2e5eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b12b62org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@973c1b_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Highlights- Sympathetic Perineurial Cells (SPCs) co-express LepR+ and IL33 - SPC-derived IL33 prevents BAT inflammation via Treg and eosinophil recruitment - Obesity is worsened in high fat diet-fed SPCIL33cKO mice, despite normal food intake - Adaptive thermogenesis is impaired in SPCIL33cKO mice - Rescue of metabolic adaptation to fasting by leptin is impaired in SPCIL33cKO mice - SPCs link leptin to immunometabolic regulation of body weight homeostasis

physiology↗