Long Non Coding RNA FOXD3‑AS1 Alleviates Allergic Rhinitis by Elevating the Th1/Th2 Ratio via the Regulation of Dendritic Cells

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article aimed to explore whether the regulation of Th1/Th2 immune responses by FOXD3-AS1 is associated with dendritic cells (DCs) in allergic rhinitis (AR). HE staining was performed to assess the pathological changes in the nasal mucosa; ELISA was performed to measure the levels of Th1/Th2-related cytokines; flow cytometry was performed to analyze Th1/Th2 cells and MHC-II-, CD80-, and CD86-positive DCs; and qRT‒PCR and western blotting were performed to measure mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. Our data revealed that LV-FOXD3-AS1 improved AR and increased the Th1/Th2 cell ratio in AR model mice. LV-FOXD3-AS1 further inhibited DC maturation both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the coculture system of DCs and CD4+ T cells demonstrated that LV-FOXD3-AS1 increased the Th1/Th2 cell ratio by inhibiting the maturation of DCs. In addition, LV-FOXD3-AS1 reduced the level of phosphorylated STAT6 in DCs derived from healthy mice, and STAT6 overexpression eliminated the inhibitory effect of LV-FOXD3-AS1 on the maturation of DCs. In summary, LV-FOXD3-AS1 ameliorated AR by increasing the Th1/Th2 cell ratio by inhibiting DC maturation via the inhibition of STAT6 phosphorylation. Our data confirmed the protective effect of FOXD3-AS1 in AR and provided a novel idea for the treatment of this disease.