Psoriasis-like inflammation induces structural and functional changes in mitochondria.

Mitochondrial structural and functional changes accompany psoriasis, yet the mitochondrial response to psoriatic inflammation in keratinocytes and fibroblasts remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the effect of psoriasis-like inflammation (PLI) induced by a cytokine cocktail (interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-22 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α) on mitochondrial network morphology and function in cultured keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (BJ-5ta). In both cell types, PLI triggered the expression of psoriasis-related Elafin and high amounts of cytokines (IL-1, IL-6), interferons (IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ), and chemokines (C-C motif chemokine 5 (CCL5) and IL-8), accompanied by increased mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, respiration suppression, network fragmentation, swelling and cristae disassembly. Stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy revealed the disappearance of mitochondrial cristae in response to PLI, with the process starting more quickly and being more pronounced in keratinocytes than in fibroblasts. These findings highlight cell-specific mitochondrial responses to psoriatic inflammation, guiding future investigations towards new pharmacological targets for managing psoriasis.