Adrenal gland macrophages regulate glucocorticoid production through Trem2 and TGFβ.

Glucocorticoid synthesis by adrenal glands (AG) is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) to facilitate stress responses when the host is exposed to stimuli. Recent studies have implicated macrophages (MФ) as potential steroidogenic regulators, but the molecular mechanisms by which AG MФ exert such influence remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of AG MФ in response to cold challenge or atherosclerotic inflammation as physiologic models of acute or chronic stress. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing, we observed dynamic AG MФ polarization toward classical activation and lipid-associated phenotypes following acute or chronic stimulation. Among the transcriptional alterations induced in MФ, Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid (Trem2) was highlighted due to its dramatic upregulation following stress. Conditional deletion of MФ Trem2 revealed a protective role for Trem2 in stress responses. Mechanistically, Trem2 deletion led to increased AG MФ death, abolished the TGFβ-producing capacity of AG MФ, and resulted in enhanced glucocorticoid production. In addition, enhanced glucocorticoid production was replicated by blockade of TGFβ signaling. Together, these observations suggest that AG MФ restrict steroidogenesis through Trem2 and TGFβ, which opens potential avenues for immunotherapeutic interventions targeting the innate immune system to resolve stress-related disorders.