Tacrolimus (FK506) treatment protects allergen-, IL-5- and IL-13-induced mucosal eosinophilia

Eosinophils are a common clinical feature associated with chronic allergic diseases, and elemental diets, systemic steroids, anti-IL-5 and anti-IL-13 treatment have shown some therapeutic promise. Herein, we present evidence that pre- and post-intraperitoneal administration of tacrolimus (FK506) is very effective in reducing CCR3/Siglec-F⁺ eosinophils in Aspergillus-challenged asthma and EoE, CD2-IL-5 induced global eosinophilia, and DOX regulated IL-13-induced asthma. We used flow cytometry and anti-major basic protein (MBP) immunostaining to examine eosinophils in the spleen, bone marrow, BALF, lung, oesophagus and intestine. Additionally, we also performed ELISA and Western blot analyses to show that tacrolimus treatment also reduces the levels of eosinophil-specific cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and TGF-β, eosinophil-specific chemokines Eotaxin-1 and Eotaxin-2, and progenitors of target RCAN1 mRNA and protein levels. Additionally, the current investigations also show that the TGF-β-mediated oesophageal and lung fibrosis is also reduced in Aspergillus-challenged, CD2-IL-5 transgenic and DOX-responsive IL-13 mice. Mechanistically, we show that tacrolimus in vitro treatment inhibited bone marrow-derived eosinophil proliferation and viability by promoting eosinophil apoptosis that may be associated with downregulation of RCAN1. Taken together, we provide in vivo and in vitro evidence that tacrolimus ameliorates eosinophil levels and associated pathogenesis in allergen-, IL-5- and IL-13-induced EoE, EG and asthma pathogenesis. Considering tacrolimus side-effects and reactivity to several other drugs, we propose the topical use of tacrolimus for paediatric and low-dose oral for adult patients as a novel therapeutic strategy for the clinical trial to reduce mucosal eosinophilia first in steroid-refractory or elemental diet non-responsive adult EoE, EG and asthma patients.