Toll-like receptor 4 protects against irradiation-induced hematopoietic injury by promoting granulopoiesis and alleviating marrow adipogenesis

Irradiation induces severe damage in the hematopoietic system, which leads to bone marrow hyperplasia, pancytopenia, and aggravated tissue formation in bone marrow. Studies have shown that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has a protective effect against irradiation, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used a TLR4 knockout (TLR4−/−) mouse irradiation model and found that the white blood cell and platelet counts in the peripheral blood of TLR4−/− mice recovered slowly after irradiation, with bone marrow hyperplasia and increased mortality. Additionally, we found that the proportion of CD11b+Gr1+ granulocytes in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of TLR4−/− mice was lower than that of wild-type mice after irradiation. Further, we found that the expression of NADPH Oxidases (NOXs) in the bone marrow was down-regulated after irradiation of TLR4−/− mice, and administration of the NOXs inhibitor VAS2870 reduced the proportion of CD11b+Gr1+ cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of wild-type mice after irradiation. Irradiation induced severe marrow adipocytes accumulation in TLR4−/− mice, TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide promoted proliferation and inhibited adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells. In summary, our data suggest that TLR4 promotes myeloid hyperplasia by up-regulating the expression of NOXs after irradiation, prohibits marrow adipogensis and increases the tolerance of mice to irradiation. •Irradiation induces severe hematopoietic injury in TLR4−/− mice.•TLR4 triggers myeloid cells formation after irradiation.•NAPDH oxidase is essential for post-irradiation granulopoiesis.•TLR4 inhibits adipocyte formation following irradiation.