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Worrell JC, Leslie J, Smith GR, Zaki MYW, Paish HL, Knox A, James ML, Cartwright TN, O'Reilly S, Kania G, Distler O, Distler JHW, Herrick AL, Jeziorska M, Borthwick LA, Fisher AJ, Mann J, Mann DA, Oakley F. cRel expression regulates distinct transcriptional and functional profiles driving fibroblast matrix production in systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2021; 59:3939-3951. [PMID: 32725139 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaa272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES NF-κB regulates genes that control inflammation, cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Dysregulated NF-κB signalling alters normal skin physiology and deletion of cRel limits bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis. This study investigates the role of cRel in modulating fibroblast phenotype in the context of SSc. METHODS Fibrosis was assessed histologically in mice challenged with bleomycin to induce lung or skin fibrosis. RNA sequencing and pathway analysis was performed on wild type and Rel-/- murine lung and dermal fibroblasts. Functional assays examined fibroblast proliferation, migration and matrix production. cRel overexpression was investigated in human dermal fibroblasts. cRel immunostaining was performed on lung and skin tissue sections from SSc patients and non-fibrotic controls. RESULTS cRel expression was elevated in murine lung and skin fibrosis models. Rel-/- mice were protected from developing pulmonary fibrosis. Soluble collagen production was significantly decreased in fibroblasts lacking cRel while proliferation and migration of these cells was significantly increased. cRel regulates genes involved in extracellular structure and matrix organization. Positive cRel staining was observed in fibroblasts in human SSc skin and lung tissue. Overexpression of constitutively active cRel in human dermal fibroblasts increased expression of matrix genes. An NF-κB gene signature was identified in diffuse SSc skin and nuclear cRel expression was elevated in SSc skin fibroblasts. CONCLUSION cRel regulates a pro-fibrogenic transcriptional programme in fibroblasts that may contribute to disease pathology. Targeting cRel signalling in fibroblasts of SSc patients could provide a novel therapeutic avenue to limit scar formation in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C Worrell
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Jack Leslie
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Graham R Smith
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Marco Y W Zaki
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne.,Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Egypt
| | - Hannah L Paish
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Amber Knox
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Michelle L James
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Tyrell N Cartwright
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Steven O'Reilly
- Department of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gabriela Kania
- Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Distler
- Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jörg H W Distler
- Department of Internal Medicine III and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ariane L Herrick
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, The University of Manchester, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester
| | - Maria Jeziorska
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester
| | - Lee A Borthwick
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Andrew J Fisher
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne.,Institute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jelena Mann
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Derek A Mann
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
| | - Fiona Oakley
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Min S, Song EAC, Oyelakin A, Gluck C, Smalley K, Romano RA. Functional characterization and genomic studies of a novel murine submandibular gland epithelial cell line. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192775. [PMID: 29462154 PMCID: PMC5819789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the normal and diseased biology of salivary glands (SG) has been hampered, in part, due to difficulties in cultivating and maintaining salivary epithelial cells. Towards this end, we have generated a mouse salivary gland epithelial cell (mSGc) culture system that is well-suited for the molecular characterization of SG cells and their differentiation program. We demonstrate that mSGc can be maintained for multiple passages without a loss of proliferation potential, readily form 3D-spheroids and importantly express a panel of well-established salivary gland epithelial cell markers. Moreover, mSGc 3D-spheroids also exhibit functional maturation as evident by robust agonist-induced intracellular calcium signaling. Finally, transcriptomic characterization of mSGc by RNA-seq and hierarchical clustering analysis with adult organ RNA-seq datasets reveal that mSGc retain most of the molecular attributes of adult mouse salivary gland. This well-characterized mouse salivary gland cell line will fill a critical void in the field by offering a valuable resource to examine various mechanistic aspects of mouse salivary gland biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangwon Min
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Eun-Ah Christine Song
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Akinsola Oyelakin
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Christian Gluck
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Kirsten Smalley
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Rose-Anne Romano
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
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Hasegawa M, Hamaguchi Y, Yanaba K, Bouaziz JD, Uchida J, Fujimoto M, Matsushita T, Matsushita Y, Horikawa M, Komura K, Takehara K, Sato S, Tedder TF. B-lymphocyte depletion reduces skin fibrosis and autoimmunity in the tight-skin mouse model for systemic sclerosis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2006; 169:954-66. [PMID: 16936269 PMCID: PMC1698806 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2006.060205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is an autoimmune disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition in the skin. A direct role for B lymphocytes in disease development or progression has remained controversial, although autoantibody production is a feature of this disease. To address this issue, skin sclerosis and autoimmunity were assessed in tight-skin mice, a genetic model of human systemic sclerosis, after circulating and tissue B-cell depletion using an anti-mouse CD20 monoclonal antibody before (day 3 after birth) and after disease development (day 56). CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment (10 to 20 microg) depleted the majority (85 to 99%) of circulating and tissue B cells in newborn and adult tight-skin mice by days 56 and 112, respectively. B-cell depletion in newborn tight-skin mice significantly suppressed (approximately 43%) the development of skin fibrosis, autoantibody production, and hypergammaglobulinemia. B-cell depletion also restored a more normal balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression in the skin. By contrast, B-cell depletion did not affect skin fibrosis, hypergammaglobulinemia, and autoantibody levels in adult mice with established disease. Thereby, B-cell depletion during disease onset suppressed skin fibrosis, indicating that B cells contribute to the initiation of systemic sclerosis pathogenesis in tight-skin mice but are not required for disease maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Hasegawa
- Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan
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Baxter RM, Crowell TP, McCrann ME, Frew EM, Gardner H. Analysis of the tight skin (Tsk1/+) mouse as a model for testing antifibrotic agents. J Transl Med 2005; 85:1199-209. [PMID: 16127425 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.3700331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight skin 1 (B6.CgFbn1(Tsk)+/+Pldn(pa)/J, henceforth referred to as Tsk1/+) mouse was first described as a spontaneously occurring mutant that resulted in hyperplasia of the subcutaneous loose connective tissue, and has subsequently been proposed to be a model of the human fibrotic disorder scleroderma. We have investigated the Tsk1/+ mouse as a model system for testing the efficacy of antifibrotic agents against skin fibrosis. We find that the tightness of the skin at the scruff of the neck leads to a measurably thicker skin pinch, but we suggest that this is due to hyperplasia of the subdermal loose connective tissue, which results in increased tethering of the skin to the underlying muscle layers. In contrast to previously published data, we do not find a significant difference in the dermal thickness or collagen content of the Tsk1/+ mouse skin compared with wild-type controls. In addition, expression profiling of Tsk1/+ mouse skin indicated that there are very few changes in gene expression, and that there is no evidence for upregulation of the transforming growth factor beta signaling axis. Therefore, we conclude that this model is not suitable for testing the effect of antifibrotic agents on the dermis, and that changes potentially related to scleroderma may be confined to subdermal connective tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M Baxter
- Department of Research Pathology, Biogen Idec, 14 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Denton CP, Abraham DJ. Transgenic analysis of scleroderma: understanding key pathogenic events in vivo. Autoimmun Rev 2004; 3:285-93. [PMID: 15246024 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2003.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2003] [Accepted: 10/13/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Modern molecular genetic methods have allowed better understanding of established mouse models of scleroderma and also facilitated the development of new and better defined mouse strains for investigating the pathogenesis of the disease. The best characterized scleroderma animal model is the type 1 tight skin mouse (Tsk1). Backcrossing these animals with other mutant strains has been informative. These experiments implicate the IL-4 ligand-receptor axis in the development of skin fibrosis. Parallel expression analysis of genes using microarrays has provided insight into novel mediators of fibrosis including the C-C chemokine MCP-3. Other experiments suggest that embryonically defined fibroblast-specific regulatory elements may be targets for activation in this model. The same lineage-specific elements have been used to selectively activate TGF beta signaling pathways in fibrosis to generate a novel model for scleroderma and also have been used to develop systems for ligand-dependent fibroblast-specific genetic recombination that will allow further analysis key candidate genes implicated in scleroderma pathogenesis. Better mouse models will improve understanding of this intractable rheumatic disease and can be expected to ultimately lead to improved treatments and outcome.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Chemokine CCL7
- Crosses, Genetic
- Cytokines/genetics
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Fibrosis
- Forecasting
- Gene Expression
- Genes, Reporter
- Humans
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred Strains
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Mice, Transgenic
- Models, Biological
- Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins/genetics
- Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins/metabolism
- Receptors, Interleukin-4/genetics
- Receptors, Interleukin-4/metabolism
- Recombination, Genetic
- Scleroderma, Systemic/immunology
- Scleroderma, Systemic/metabolism
- Scleroderma, Systemic/pathology
- Signal Transduction
- Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism
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Abstract
Animal models of systemic connective tissue diseases have provided valuable insights into the causative mechanisms and the pathogenesis of these diseases, and have provided the means to test potentially useful therapeutic interventions. Although numerous animal models for systemic sclerosis (SSc) have been described, the most extensively studied are murine. One advantage of murine animal models is the large body of genetic information available for the mouse that is not available for other species. No animal model described to date reproduces precisely all manifestations of SSc. However, all animal models display tissue fibrotic changes similar to those present in SSc. The prudent interpretation of the results obtained from the study of animal models has provided substantial and valuable information about the pathogenesis of the human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A Jimenez
- Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
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Saito S, Kasturi K, Bona C. Genetic and immunologic features associated with scleroderma-like syndrome of TSK mice. Curr Rheumatol Rep 1999; 1:34-7. [PMID: 11123012 DOI: 10.1007/s11926-999-0022-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Tight-skin (TSK) mouse, the experimental model for scleroderma, develops cutaneous hyperplasia and autoantibodies to scleroderma specific autoantigens. TSK syndrome is caused by a mutation on chromosome 2. Induction of cutaneous hyperplasia is due to intragenic duplication of exons 17 to 40 of fibrillin-1 gene, mapping close to TSK locus. The mutant mouse expresses a 14kb Fbn transcript in addition to 11kb wild-type transcript. Immunoprecipation analysis confirms that the mutant transcript is functional and codes for a 420kD fibrillin. The occurrence of TSK syndrome is independent of the presence of mature lymphocytes although splenic/bone marrow cells appear to be capable of transferring the disease in normal animals. Transgenic mice expressing mutant transgene develop mild skin thickness with associate biochemical changes but do not develop anti-topo I antibodies. Among the other factors that may contribute to the develop- ment of hyperplasia, collagen V seems to play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Saito
- Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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