Solar ultraviolet B radiation promotes α-MSH secretion to attenuate the function of ILC2s via the pituitary–lung axis

• Published in: Nature Communications
• Main Authors: Yuying Huang, Lin Zhu, Shipeng Cheng, Ranran Dai, Chunrong Huang, Yanyan Song, Bo Peng, Xuezhen Li, Jing Wen, Yi Gong, Yunqian Hu, Ling Qian, Linyun Zhu, Fengying Zhang, Li Yu, Chunyan Yi, Wangpeng Gu, Zhiyang Ling, Liyan Ma, Wei Tang, Li Peng, Guochao Shi, Yaguang Zhang, Bing Sun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-09-01
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41319-1
• ISSN: 2041-1723

Abstract The immunomodulatory effects of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation in human diseases have been described. Whether type 2 lung inflammation is directly affected by solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is not fully understood. Here, we show a possible negative correlation between solar UVB radiation and asthmatic inflammation in humans and mice. UVB exposure to the eyes induces hypothalamus-pituitary activation and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) accumulation in the serum to suppress allergic airway inflammation by targeting group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) through the MC5R receptor in mice. The α-MSH/MC5R interaction limits ILC2 function through attenuation of JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling. Consistently, we observe that the plasma α-MSH concentration is negatively correlated with the number and function of ILC2s in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with asthma. We provide insights into how solar UVB radiation-driven neuroendocrine α-MSH restricts ILC2-mediated lung inflammation and offer a possible strategy for controlling allergic diseases.