Melatonin, an endogenous hormone, modulates Th17 cells via the reactive-oxygen species/TXNIP/HIF-1α axis to alleviate autoimmune uveitis

BACKGROUND: Melatonin, an indoleamine produced by the pineal gland, plays a pivotal role in maintaining circadian rhythm homeostasis. Recently, the strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of melatonin have attracted attention of researchers. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin in experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), which is a representative animal model of human autoimmune uveitis. METHODS: EAU was induced in mice via immunization with the peptide interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein 1–20 (IRBP(1–20)). Melatonin was then administered via intraperitoneal injection to induce protection against EAU. With EAU induction for 14 days, clinical and histopathological scores were graded to evaluate the disease progression. T lymphocytes accumulation and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the retinas were assessed via flow cytometry and RT-PCR, respectively. T helper 1 (Th1), T helper 17 (Th17), and regulatory T (Treg) cells were detected via flow cytometry for both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Reactive-oxygen species (ROS) from CD4 + T cells was tested via flow cytometry. The expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) proteins were quantified via western blot. RESULTS: Melatonin treatment resulted in notable attenuation of ocular inflammation in EAU mice, evidenced by decreasing optic disc edema, few signs of retinal vasculitis, and minimal retinal and choroidal infiltrates. Mechanistic studies revealed that melatonin restricted the proliferation of peripheral Th1 and Th17 cells by suppressing their transcription factors and potentiated Treg cells. In vitro studies corroborated that melatonin restrained the polarization of retina-specific T cells towards Th17 and Th1 cells in addition to enhancing the proportion of Treg cells. Pretreatment of retina-specific T cells with melatonin failed to induce EAU in naïve recipients. Furthermore, the ROS/ TXNIP/ HIF-1α pathway was shown to mediate the therapeutic effect of melatonin in EAU. CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin regulates autoimmune T cells by restraining effector T cells and facilitating Treg generation, indicating that melatonin could be a hopeful treatment alternative for autoimmune uveitis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-022-02477-z.