Long-term hindlimb unloading causes a preferential reduction of medullary thymic epithelial cells expressing autoimmune regulator (Aire)

Abstract

Hindlimb unloading (HU) of rodents has been used as a ground-based model of spaceflight. In this study, we investigated the detailed impact of 14-day HU on the murine thymus. Thymic mass and cell number were significantly reduced after 14 days of hindlimb unloading, which was accompanied by an increment of plasma corticosterone. Although corticosterone reportedly causes selective apoptosis of CD4⁺CD8⁺ thymocytes (CD4⁺CD8⁺DPs) in mice treated with short-term HU, the reduction of thymocyte cellularity after the 14-day HU was not selective for CD4⁺CD8⁺DPs. In addition to the thymocyte reduction, the cellularity of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) was also reduced by the 14-day HU. Flow cytometric and RNA-sequencing analysis suggested that medullary TECs (mTECs) were preferentially reduced after HU. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining suggested that the 14-day HU caused a reduction of the mTECs expressing autoimmune regulator (Aire). Our data suggested that HU impacts both thymocytes and TECs. Consequently, these data imply that thymic T cell repertoire formation could be disturbed during spaceflight-like stress.

Keywords: Aire; Hindlimb unloading; Spaceflight; Thymic epithelial cells; Thymocyte.