Modulation of the IL-23/IL-17 axis by fenofibrate ameliorates the ovalbumin/lipopolysaccharide-induced airway inflammation and bronchial asthma in rats

Targeting Lipid Metabolism in Obese Asthma: Perspectives and Therapeutic Opportunities

BACKGROUND

Obese asthma represents a unique phenotype of asthma characterized by severe symptoms, poor medication controls, increased frequency of exacerbations, and an overall diminished quality of life. Numerous factors, including the complex interactions between environment, mechanical processes, inflammatory responses, and metabolites disturbance, contribute to the onset of obese asthma.

SUMMARY

Notably, multiple metabolomics studies in the last several years have revealed the significant abnormalities in lipid metabolism among obese asthmatic patients. Several bioactive lipid messengers participate in the development of obese asthma has also been observed. Here, we present and discuss the latest advances regarding how bioactive lipid molecules contribute to the pathogenic process and mechanisms underlying obese asthma. The key roles of potentially significant effector cells and the pathways by which they respond to diverse lipid metabolites are also described. We finally summarize current lipid-related therapeutic options for the treatment of obese asthma and discuss their application prospects.

KEY MESSAGES

This review underscores the impacts of abnormal lipid metabolism in the etiopathogenesis of obese asthma and asks for further investigation to elucidate the intricate correlations among lipids, obesity, and asthma.

Regulation of lung inflammation by adiponectin

Adiponectin is an insulin sensitizing hormone that also plays a role in the regulation of inflammation. Although adiponectin can exert pro-inflammatory effects, more studies have reported anti-inflammatory effects, even in non-adipose tissues such as the lung. Obesity is considered an inflammatory disease, is a risk factor for lung diseases, and is associated with decreased levels of plasma adiponectin. The results of recent studies have suggested that adiponectin exerts anti-inflammatory activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and invasive fungal infection. The signaling receptors of adiponectin, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, are expressed by epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells in the lung. In this mini-review, we discuss the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of adiponectin in lung cells and tissues.

Fenofibrate Attenuates Asthma Features in an Ovalbumin-induced Mouse Model Via Suppressing NF-κB Binding Activity

BACKGROUND/AIM

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways with a high prevalence. Asthma has a complex pathophysiology and about 5-10% of patients are not fully responsive to the currently available treatments. The aim of this study is to investigate the involvement of NF-κB in the effects of fenofibrate on a mouse model of allergic asthma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 49 BALB/c mice were randomly distributed into 7 groups (n=7). Allergic asthma model was created by administering i.p. injections of ovalbumin on days 0, 14 and 21, followed by provocation with inhaled ovalbumin on days 28, 29 and 30. Fenofibrate was orally given in 3 different doses; 1, 10 and 30mg/kg through days 21 to 30 of the experiment. On day 31, pulmonary function test using whole body plethysmography was performed. The mice were sacrificed 24hours later. Blood samples were obtained, and serum of each sample was separated for IgE determination. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were collected to measure IL-5 and IL-13 levels. Nuclear extracts of lung tissues were employed to assess nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 binding activity.

RESULTS

Enhanced Pause (Penh) values were significantly increased in ovalbumin-sensitized and challenged mice (p<0.01). Administration of fenofibrate (10 and 30mg/kg) resulted in improved pulmonary function as shown by significantly lower Penh values (p<0.01). Interleukin (IL) -5 and IL-13 levels in BALF and lung tissues and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in serum were significantly elevated in the allergic mice. IL-5 levels in the lung tissues of mice treated with 1mg/kg fenofibrate (FEN1) group were significantly reduced (p<0.01). BALF and lung tissue IL-5 and IL-13 levels in mice treated with 10 and 30mg/kg fenofibrate, FEN10 and FEN30, respectively, were significantly diminished when compared to the ovalbumin-treated (OVA) group, whereas treatment with 1mg/kg fenofibrate resulted in insignificant changes. IgE levels in the serum of FEN30 group mice have shown a prominent reduction (p<0.01). NF-κB p65 binding activity was higher in mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (p<0.01). NF-κB p65 binding activity was significantly reduced in allergic mice treated with 30mg/kg (p<0.01) fenofibrate.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we showed that administration of 10 and 30mg/kg fenofibrate effectively attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma, possibly through inhibition of NF-κB binding activity.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lipid-Lowering Drugs and Supplements-A Narrative Review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Since the establishment of the "lipid hypothesis", according to which, cholesterol level is directly correlated to the risk of CVD, many different lipid-lowering agents have been introduced in clinical practice. A majority of these drugs, in addition to their lipid-lowering properties, may also exhibit some anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. This hypothesis was based on the observation that a decrease in lipid levels occurs along with a decrease in inflammation. Insufficient reduction in the inflammation during treatment with lipid-lowering drugs could be one of the explanations for treatment failure and recurrent CVD events. Thus, the aim of this narrative review was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of currently available lipid-lowering medications including statins, ezetimibe, bile acid sequestrants (BAS), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, fibrates, omega-3 fatty acids, and niacin, as well as dietary supplements and novel drugs used in modern times.

Influence of toll-like receptor-4 antagonist on bacterial load of asthma in Swiss albino mice: targeting TLR4/MD2 complex pathway

Air pollution and environmental issues significantly impact life, resulting in the emergence and exacerbation of allergic asthma and other chronic respiratory infections. The main objective of this study is to suppress allergic asthma by TAK-242 from lipopolysaccharide-induced airway inflammation primarily stimulating toll-like receptor-4, and also to determine the potential mechanism of asthma eradication. The TAK-242 anti-allergic action was assured through the ovalbumin murine model of asthma via bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation of the respiration tract in a pre-existing allergic inflammation paradigm. Swiss albino mice were sensitized and then challenged by ovalbumin and lipopolysaccharide for 5 days straight. TAK-242 reaction was assessed by inflammatory cytokines, and inflammatory cell count was determined from blood serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, as well as group-wise regular weight assessments. After ovalbumin, lipopolysaccharide infusion, toll-like receptor-4 agonists caused a substantial increase in airway hyperresponsiveness, specific cellular inflammation, histological alterations, and immune mediator synthesis, as well as dose-related body-weight variations. A decrease in lipopolysaccharide-induced leukocyte count and Th1/Th17 related cytokines, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression through the ELISA study was particularly noticeable. Finally in treated groups, TAK-242, a TLR4/MD2 complex inhibitor, reduced airway inflammation and histopathological changes, cytokine expression, and body-weight management. TAK-242 has been found in an ovalbumin allergic asthma model to be a potential inhibitor of lipopolysaccharide-induced respiratory infection.

Difference of Serum Cytokine Profile in Allergic Asthma Patients According to Disease Severity

Purpose

Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms. Cytokines are key mediators in immune system and potential indicators of disease status. The aim of this study is to compare the difference of serum cytokine profile in allergic asthma patients with different disease severity and explore candidate biomarkers for disease monitoring and targeting therapeutic agents.

Patients and Methods

A total of 40 allergic asthmatics (mild, n=22; moderate-to-severe, n=18) were included in this study. Serum samples, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide data were collected from each subject. A Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) electrochemiluminescence platform was applied to access serum levels of 33 cytokines. Serum cytokine profile was compared between mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, and the correlation between serum cytokine levels, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide were analyzed.

Results

Moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics displayed higher levels of eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and lower IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL in serum in comparison with mild allergic asthmatics. Serum YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 had the best ability to discriminate mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, with an AUC of 0.833, 0.811 and 0.760. Serum IP-10 was positively correlated with FeNO levels, while FnNO displayed a strong positive correlation with serum IL-25.

Conclusion

Compared with mild allergic asthmatics, significant increase in serum eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and decrease in serum IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL was noted in moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics. YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 might be candidate biomarkers in reflecting severity in allergic asthma patients.

Characterization of interactions of montelukast sodium with human serum albumin: multi-spectroscopic techniques and computer simulation studies

The interaction mechanism of montelukast sodium and HSA was characterized using spectroscopic and computer methods.

The protective effects of Omarigliptin against Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- induced inflammatory response and expression of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in human bronchial epithelial cells

The epidemic of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a global public health problem. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and overproduction of airway mucus play critical roles in the progression of these diseases. Omarigliptin, an oral dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory effects in patients with type II diabetes. However, its role in chronic inflammatory lung diseases remains enigmatic. This study is to investigate whether Omarigliptin possesses a beneficial effect against Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injuries in human BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells. Our results show that Omarigliptin suppressed LPS-induced oxidative stress by attenuating the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) in BEAS-2B cells. Additionally, Omarigliptin mitigated inflammatory response by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in LPS-challenged BEAS-2B cells. Moreover, Omarigliptin mitigated the LPS-induced overproduction of MUC5AC by rescuing the expression of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1(SOCS1). Importantly, we found that this process is mediated by the Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Based on these findings, we conclude that Omarigliptin might be a promising agent for the treatment of chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

Euxanthone inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced injury, inflammatory response, and MUC5AC hypersecretion in human airway epithelial cells by the TLR4/MyD88 pathway

Asthma progression is involved in airway epithelial dysfunction, airway inflammatory response, and mucus hypersecretion. Euxanthone has been found to exhibit cytotoxic activity on several human diseases, such as neurological disorders and cancers. Our study aimed to explore the influence of euxanthone on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury, inflammatory response, and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) hypersecretion in human airway epithelial cells (AECs). Network pharmacology analysis was carried out to analyze the drug targets and key pathways of euxanthone against asthma. Cell injury was evaluated by CCK-8, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. The production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and MUC5AC was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MUC5AC mRNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) protein expression was examined by western blot analysis. Venn diagram showed 14 overlapping targets between euxanthone and asthma. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, we focused on TLR signaling pathway. LPS exposure evoked viability reduction, increased LDH release and apoptosis, and induced production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1) and MUC5AC hypersecretion in human AECs, which were alleviated by euxanthone. Mechanistically, we validated that euxanthone attenuated LPS-induced activation of TLR4/MyD88 pathway in AECs. Moreover, inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway enhanced the inhibitory effect of euxanthone on LPS-induced cell injury, inflammatory response and MUC5AC expression. In conclusion, euxanthone attenuated LPS-induced cell injury, inflammatory response, and MUC5AC expression in AECs by inhibiting the activation of TLR4/MyD88 pathway.

Tyrosol improves ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma in rat model through prevention of airway inflammation

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that affects many people around the world, especially persons at paediatric age group. The effectiveness of tyrosol, a natural phenolic compound, was examined in the asthma model induced by ovalbumin (OVA). For this purpose, four groups, each consisting of eight rats, were arranged. For 21 days, physiological saline solution was treated to the control group and OVA was treated to the groups of OVA, OVA + dexamethasone (Dexa) and OVA + tyrosol groups, intraperitoneally and through inhalation. Additionally, 0.25 mg/kg Dexa was treated to the OVA + Dexa group and 20 mg/kg tyrosol to the OVA + tyrosol group by oral gavage. Serum, blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues of the rats were examined. It was observed that MDA level decreased, GSH level and GPx activity increased, and there was no change in CAT activity in lung tissues of the tyrosol treatment groups. It was also observed that NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IFN-γ and IgE levels decreased compared to the OVA group in lung tissue and serum samples except for serum NF-κB and IL-4. However, no effect on IL-1 β level was observed. In addition, it was determined that tyrosol treatment increased the IL-10 level on both tissue samples. The results of the histopathological investigation of lung tissue showed that tyrosol significantly ameliorated OVA-induced histopathological lesions. Additionally, PAS staining showed that mucus hypersecretion was significantly reduced with the use of tyrosol. In addition, it was determined that the number of eosinophils decreased significantly in blood and BALF samples. The obtained results showed that tyrosol possessed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features on OVA-induced rats and preserved tissue architecture.

Adiponectin and Asthma: Knowns, Unknowns and Controversies

Adiponectin is an adipokine associated with the healthy obese phenotype. Adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity and has cardio and vascular protection actions. Studies related to adiponectin, a modulator of the innate and acquired immunity response, have suggested a role of this molecule in asthma. Studies based on various asthma animal models and on the key cells involved in the allergic response have provided important insights about this relation. Some of them indicated protection and others reversed the balance towards negative effects. Many of them described the cellular pathways activated by adiponectin, which are potentially beneficial for asthma prevention or for reduction in the risk of exacerbations. However, conclusive proofs about their efficiency still need to be provided. In this article, we will, briefly, present the general actions of adiponectin and the epidemiological studies supporting the relation with asthma. The main focus of the current review is on the mechanisms of adiponectin and the impact on the pathobiology of asthma. From this perspective, we will provide arguments for and against the positive influence of this molecule in asthma, also indicating the controversies and sketching out the potential directions of research to complete the picture.

Chinese Herbs and Repurposing Old Drugs as Therapeutic Agents in the Regulation of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Pulmonary Diseases

Several pro-inflammatory factors and proteins have been characterized that are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma, induced by oxidative stress, cytokines, bacterial toxins, and viruses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as secondary messengers and are products of normal cellular metabolism. Under physiological conditions, ROS protect cells against oxidative stress through the maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis, which is important for proliferation, viability, cell activation, and organ function. However, overproduction of ROS is most frequently due to excessive stimulation of either the mitochondrial electron transport chain and xanthine oxidase or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor α. NADPH oxidase activation and ROS overproduction could further induce numerous inflammatory target proteins that are potentially mediated via Nox/ROS-related transcription factors triggered by various intracellular signaling pathways. Thus, oxidative stress is considered important in pulmonary inflammatory processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that redox signals can induce pulmonary inflammatory diseases. Thus, therapeutic strategies directly targeting oxidative stress may be effective for pulmonary inflammatory diseases. Therefore, drugs with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties may be beneficial to these diseases. Recent studies have suggested that traditional Chinese medicines, statins, and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor agonists could modulate inflammation-related signaling processes and may be beneficial for pulmonary inflammatory diseases. In particular, several herbal medicines have attracted attention for the management of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. Therefore, we reviewed the pharmacological effects of these drugs to dissect how they induce host defense mechanisms against oxidative injury to combat pulmonary inflammation. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death can be protected via the induction of HO-1 by these drugs. The main objective of this review is to focus on Chinese herbs and old drugs to develop anti-inflammatory drugs able to induce HO-1 expression for the management of pulmonary inflammatory diseases.

Panax notoginseng saponin R1 modulates TNF-α/NF-κB signaling and attenuates allergic airway inflammation in asthma

BACKGROUD

Panax notoginseng saponin R1 (PNS-R1) is one of the most important chemical monomers derived from the panax notoginseng, and our previous study found that PNS-R1 reduced glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in asthmatic airway epithelial cells. Thus, in this study, we explored the effects of the PNS-R1 on inflammation of allergic asthma.

METHODS

The asthmatic mice were administered 15 mg/kg PNS-R1 by intraperitoneal injection three days before sensitized to OVA. The effects of PNS-R1 on asthmatic mice were detected by airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, mucus hypersecretion and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-13, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were studied. We also treated human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) with house dust mites (HDM) and then detected the secretion of cellular inflammatory factors (IL-13 and TNF-α). Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to examine the effect of PNS-R1 on TNF-α/NF-κB pathway. TNF-α/NF-κB/IKK signal pathway activator was used in PNS-R1-treated asthmatic mice.

RESULTS

PNS-R1 significantly reduced the airway inflammatory, mucus secretion and hyperresponsiveness in asthma model. It also reduced the levels of IL-13, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-8 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and IgE and OVA-specific IgE in serum for asthma mice. PNS-R1 reduced IL-13 and TNF-α secretion in HDM-treated 16HBE cells. In addition, PNS-R1 suppressed TNF-α/NF-κB pathway in both asthmatic mice and 16HBE. Activation of NF-kB pathway reversed the therapeutic effect of PNS-R1 on asthmatic mice.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that PNS-R1 effectively suppresses allergic airway inflammation of asthma partly through TNF-α/NF-κB pathway. PNS-R1 may play a potential role in allergic asthma treatment in the future.

Oxysophocarpine protects airway epithelial cells against inflammation and apoptosis by inhibiting miR-155 expression

Oxysophocarpine (OSC) has been documented for anti-inflammatory activity. However, the mechanisms of OSC in anti-inflammation are unclear. Aim: To investigate the protective effects of OSC on inflammation and apoptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide in NCI-H292 and human primary airway epithelial cells. Materials & methods: MTT and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining were used to detect cells viability. Inflammatory responses were determined by ELISA. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were used to detect mRNA/miRNA and protein expressions respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation was investigated for protein interactions. Results & conclusion: miR-155 mimics significantly induced cell apoptosis, inflammatory responses and MAPK and NF-κB pathways. NDFIP1 was identified as the target of miR-155. OSC protected cells against apoptosis and inflammatory responses and compromised miR-155 activity by attenuating MAPK and NF-κB pathways.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors as a Therapeutic Target in Asthma

The complexity of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of chronic inflammation in asthma determines its heterogeneity and insufficient treatment effectiveness. Nuclear transcription factors, which include peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, that is, PPARs, play an important role in the regulation of initiation and resolution of the inflammatory process. The ability of PPARs to modulate not only lipid homeostasis but also the activity of the inflammatory response makes them an important pathogenetic target in asthma therapy. At present, special attention is focused on natural (polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), endocannabinoids, and eicosanoids) and synthetic (fibrates, thiazolidinediones) PPAR ligands and the study of signaling mechanisms involved in the implementation of their anti-inflammatory effects in asthma. This review summarizes current views on the structure and function of PPARs, as well as their participation in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation in asthma. The potential use of PPAR ligands as therapeutic agents for treating asthma is under discussion.

Cucurbitacin E ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-evoked injury, inflammation and MUC5AC expression in bronchial epithelial cells by restraining the HMGB1-TLR4-NF-κB signaling

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of airway affecting people from childhood to old age, and is characterized by airway epithelial dysfunction. Cucurbitacin E (CuE), a tetracyclic triterpene isolated from Cucurbitaceae plants, has been recently proved to exert anti-inflammation and immunology regulation activities. Nevertheless, its roles in asthma remains poorly defined. In the current study, CuE had little cytotoxicity on cell viability of human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Moreover, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure inhibited cell viability and induced cell apoptosis, which was reversed following CuE pretreatment. Additionally, CuE administration suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8. Simultaneously, supplementation with CuE decreased the transcripts and releases of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in LPS-treated BEAS-2B cells. Intriguingly, CuE inhibited LPS-evoked activation of the high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1)-TLR4-NF-κB signaling by reducing the expression of HMGB1, TLR4 and p-p65 NF-κB. Notably, restoring this pathway by elevating HMGB1 expression largely offset the protective function of CuE against LPS-triggered cell injury, inflammatory response and MUC5AC expression. Consequently, these findings highlight that CuE can ameliorate human bronchial epithelial cell insult and inflammation under LPS-simulated asthmatic conditions by blocking the HMGB1-TLR4-NF-κB signaling, thereby supporting its usefulness as a promising therapeutic agent against asthma.

The clarified role of interleukin-19 in the inflammatory bowel disease and hypersensitivity: Insights from animal models and humans

The cytokine interleukin-19 (IL-19) is a member of the IL-10 family that includes IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, and IL-26. Previous studies indicated that IL-19 is produced by keratinocytes, epithelial cells, macrophages, and B-cells. Especially, the number of IL-4-producing T cells increased, whereas the number of IFN-γ-producing T cells decreased when naive T cells from healthy people were cultured in the presence of IL-19. There is an increasing body of data demonstrating that IL-19 is associated with the development of type 1 helper T cell-responses, although IL-19 was originally associated with the development of type 2 helper T cell-responses. In this review, we will attempt to discuss current knowledge about the role of IL-19 on several T cell response-mediated inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease and hypersensitivity.

Fenofibrate Reduces the Asthma-Related Fibroblast-To-Myofibroblast Transition by TGF-Β/Smad2/3 Signaling Attenuation and Connexin 43-Dependent Phenotype Destabilization

The activation of human bronchial fibroblasts by transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁) leads to the formation of highly contractile myofibroblasts in the process of the fibroblast–myofibroblast transition (FMT). This process is crucial for subepithelial fibrosis and bronchial wall remodeling in asthma. However, this process evades current therapeutic asthma treatment strategies. Since our previous studies showed the attenuation of the TGF-β₁-induced FMT in response to lipid-lowering agents (e.g., statins), we were interested to see whether a corresponding effect could be obtained upon administration of hypolipidemic agents. In this study, we investigated the effect of fenofibrate on FMT efficiency in populations of bronchial fibroblasts derived from asthmatic patients. Fenofibrate exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the FMT, even though it did not efficiently affect the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; marker of myofibroblasts); however, it considerably reduced its incorporation into stress fibers through connexin 43 regulation. This effect was accompanied by disturbances in the actin cytoskeleton architecture, impairments in the maturation of focal adhesions, and the fenofibrate-induced deactivation of TGF-β₁/Smad2/3 signaling. These data suggest that fenofibrate interferes with myofibroblastic differentiation during asthma-related subepithelial fibrosis. The data indicate the potential application of fenofibrate in the therapy and prevention of bronchial remodeling during the asthmatic process.