Distinct roles of short and long thymic stromal lymphopoietin isoforms in house dust mite-induced asthmatic airway epithelial barrier disruption

Loss of airway epithelial integrity contributes significantly to asthma pathogenesis. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) may have dual immunoregulatory roles. In inflammatory disorders of the bowel, the long isoform of TSLP (lfTSLP) promotes inflammation while the short isoform (sfTSLP) inhibits inflammation. We hypothesize that lfTSLP contributes to house dust mite (HDM)-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction and that synthetic sfTSLP can prevent these effects. In vitro, airway epithelial barrier function was assessed by monitoring transepithelial electrical resistance, fluorescent-dextran permeability, and distribution of E-cadherin and β-catenin. In vivo, BALB/c mice were exposed to HDM by nasal inhalation for 5 consecutive days per week to establish an asthma model. sfTSLP and 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) were administered 1 h before HDM exposure. After 8 weeks, animal lung function tests and pathological staining were performed to evaluate asthma progression. We found that HDM and lfTSLP impaired barrier function. Treatment with sfTSLP and 1,25D3 prevented HDM-induced airway epithelial barrier disruption. Moreover, sfTSLP and 1,25D3 treatment ameliorated HDM-induced asthma in mice. Our data emphasize the importance of the different expression patterns and biological properties of sfTSLP and lfTSLP. Moreover, our results indicate that sfTSLP and 1,25D3 may serve as novel therapeutic agents for individualized treatment of asthma.