Subramanian, LakshmimathyBlumenfeld, HartleyTohn, RobertLy, DalamAguilera, CarlosMaricic, IgorMansson, Jan-EricBuschard, KarstenKumar, VipinDelovitch, Terry L.2013-03-112012Subramanian, Lakshmimathy, Hartley Blumenfeld, Robert Tohn, Dalam Ly, Carlos Aguilera, Igor Maricic, Jan-Eric Mansson, Karsten Buschard, Vipin Kumar, and Terry L. Delovitch. 2012. NKT cells stimulated by long fatty acyl chain sulfatides significantly reduces the incidence of type 1 diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice. PLoS ONE 7(5): e37771.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10385395Sulfatide-reactive type II NKT cells have been shown to regulate autoimmunity and anti-tumor immunity. Although, two major isoforms of sulfatide, C16:0 and C24:0, are enriched in the pancreas, their relative role in autoimmune diabetes is not known. Here, we report that sulfatide/CD1d-tetramer\(^+\) cells accumulate in the draining pancreatic lymph nodes, and that treatment of NOD mice with sulfatide or C24:0 was more efficient than C16:0 in stimulating the NKT cell-mediated transfer of a delay in onset from T1D into NOD.Scid recipients. Using NOD.CD1d\(^{−/−}\) mice, we show that this delay of T1D is CD1d-dependent. Interestingly, the latter delay or protection from T1D is associated with the enhanced secretion of IL-10 rather than IFN-g by C24:0-treated CD4\(^+\) T cells and the deviation of the islet-reactive diabetogenic T cell response. Both C16:0 and C24:0 sulfatide isoforms are unable to activate and expand type I iNKT cells. Collectively, these data suggest that C24:0 stimulated type II NKT cells may regulate protection from T1D by activating DCs to secrete IL-10 and suppress the activation and expansion of type I iNKT cells and diabetogenic T cells. Our results raise the possibility that C24:0 may be used therapeutically to delay the onset and protect from T1D in humans.en-USBiologyBiochemistryLipidsSphingolipidsImmunologyImmune CellsT CellsImmune SystemCytokinesAutoimmunityImmunomodulationModel OrganismsAnimal ModelsMouseMedicineEndocrinologyDiabetic EndocrinologyDiabetes Mellitus Type 1Journal Article2013-03-1110.1371/journal.pone.0037771