The C3-C3aR axis modulates trained immunity in alveolar macrophages

ABSTRACT

Complement protein C3 is crucial for immune responses in mucosal sites such as the lung, where it aids in microbe elimination and enhances inflammation. While trained immunity – enhanced secondary responses of innate immune cells after prior exposure – is well-studied, the role of the complement system in trained immune responses remains unclear. We investigated the role of C3 in trained immunity and found that in vivo, trained wild-type mice showed significantly elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased C3a levels upon a second stimulus, whereas C3-deficient mice exhibited a blunted cytokine response and heightened evidence of lung injury. Ex vivo, C3-deficient alveolar macrophages (AMs) displayed reduced chemokine and cytokine output after training, which was restored by exogenous C3 but not by C3a. Inhibiting C3aR, both pharmacologically and with a genetic C3aR knockout, prevented this restoration, indicating the necessity of C3aR engagement. Mechanistically, trained WT AMs demonstrated enhanced glycolytic activity compared to C3-deficient AMs – a defect corrected by exogenous C3 in a C3aR-dependent manner. These findings reveal that C3 modulates trained immunity in AMs through C3aR signaling, affecting cytokine production and metabolic reprogramming, and highlight a novel role for C3 in trained immunity.