Nuclear erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 inhibits the maturation of murine dendritic cells by ragweed extract

Oxidative stress plays an important role in immune regulation and dendritic cell (DC) maturation. Recent studies indicate that allergens, including ragweed extract (RWE), possess prooxidant activities, but how RWE interacts with DCs is not well understood. Nuclear erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor that regulates constitutive and coordinated induction of a battery of antioxidant genes. We hypothesized that RWE would activate DCs and that this response would be augmented in the absence of Nrf2. We generated bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DCs) and isolated lung DCs from Nrf2(+/+) and Nrf2(-/-) mice and studied the effects of RWE on DCs in vitro. Under resting conditions, Nrf2(-/-) BM-DCs exhibited constitutively greater levels of inflammatory cytokines and costimulatory molecules than Nrf2(+/+) BM-DCs. Exposure to RWE impaired endocytic activity, significantly induced oxidative stress, and enhanced the expression of CD80, CD86, and MHCII in Nrf2(-/-) BM-DCs when compared with Nrf2(+/+) BM-DC, in association with reduced expression of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant genes. RWE significantly induced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha in BM-DCs and lung DCs from Nrf2(-/-) mice than Nrf2(+/+) mice and significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-12 in Nrf2(+/+) BM-DCs and IL-18 in Nrf2(+/+) and Nrf2(-/-) BM-DCs. The stimulatory effects of RWE on DC activation were inhibited to varying degrees by the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine. Our findings indicate that a defect in Nrf2-mediated signaling mechanisms alters the response of DCs to a common environmental allergen, which may contribute to the susceptibility to allergic diseases.