Angiotensin II Infusion Promotes Activation and Selective Cytokine Responses in Activated CD4 and CD8 T cells

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiovascular Science

Background:

• Hypertension impacts many U.S. adults, with elevated angiotensin II (Ang II) as a contributing factor.
• T cells are implicated in hypertension, but T cell activation details, including cytokine secretion and marker expression, are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if Ang II increases T cell activation.
• To assess changes in cytokine secretion and surface activation markers in T cells exposed to Ang II.

Main Methods:

• Male C57Bl/6J mice received Ang II or saline vehicle for 14 days.
• Splenic T cells were isolated and activated ex vivo.
• Expression of activation markers (CD25, CD69, CD137) and cytokine levels (IL-28B, IP-10, IFNγ, IL-23) were measured.

Main Results:

• Ang II-infused mice showed modestly increased expression of CD25, CD69, and CD137 on splenic T cells post-activation.
• Elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-28B and interferon (IFN)-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) were observed at 24 hours.
• IFNγ and IP-10 levels increased at 120 hours, while IL-23 decreased.

Conclusions:

• Angiotensin II (Ang II) appears to modestly promote T cell activation.
• This activation is associated with increased expression of specific cytokines, particularly those involved in antiviral immunity.