视黄酸及其受体在机体免疫中的作用

视黄酸(retinoic acid,RA)又名维甲酸是维生素A的活性衍生物,是小分子质量、脂溶性信号分子,通过与其细胞内的受体α(retinoic acid receptorα,RARα)结合发挥生物学功能,在调节生物各种进程如细胞分化、调亡、胚胎发育、再生和视力发育中发挥重要作用。研究表明在很多疾病如炎症性肠病(IBD)、肿瘤等患者体内视黄酸含量减少,给予视黄酸制剂能有效的抑制疾病的进程。目前视黄酸在机体免疫调节中发挥的作用尚不完全明确,有人认为其通过对Th1/Th2和Th17/Treg平衡的调节而发挥在机体抑制炎症的作用,而在肿瘤方面的作用机制则较为复杂。本文将对视黄酸在机体免疫中发挥的作用做一综述。

The roles of retinoic acid and its receptor in immune responses

Retinoic acid,a soluble molecule with low molecular weight,is an active derivative of vitamin A that regulates diverse biological processes via retinoic acid receptor α,such as cellular differentiation,apoptosis,embryonic development,reproduction,and vision.Studies have shown that deficiency of retinoic acid can induce many diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),cancer and so on,while retinoic acid supplement can inhibit the disease process.Currently,retinoic acid has been found that can modulate Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg balances,and thus inhibit inflammation process.However,it is still far from clear about the effect of retinoic acid on immune regulation.This paper reviewed the potential role of retinoic acid in immune response modulation.