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Akter T, Atanelishvili I, Silver RM, Bogatkevich GS. IQGAP1 Regulates Actin Polymerization and Contributes to Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5244. [PMID: 38791282 PMCID: PMC11121427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously found IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein (IQGAP1) to be consistently elevated in lung fibroblasts (LF) isolated from patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) and reported that IQGAP1 contributed to SSc by regulating expression and organization of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in LF. The aim of this study was to compare the development of ILD in the presence and absence of IQGAP1. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in IQGAP1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice by a single-intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. Two and three weeks later, mice were euthanized and investigated. We observed that the IQGAP1 KO mouse was characterized by a reduced rate of actin polymerization with reduced accumulation of actin in the lung compared to the WT mouse. After exposure to bleomycin, the IQGAP1 KO mouse demonstrated decreased contractile activity of LF, reduced expression of SMA, TGFβ, and collagen, and lowered overall fibrosis scores compared to the WT mouse. The numbers of inflammatory cells and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue were not significantly different between IQGAP1 KO and WT mice. We conclude that IQGAP1 plays an important role in the development of lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin, and the absence of IQGAP1 reduces the contractile activity of lung fibroblast and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, IQGAP1 may be a potential target for novel anti-fibrotic therapies for lung fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Galina S. Bogatkevich
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Suite 912, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (T.A.); (I.A.); (R.M.S.)
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Barriga M, Benitez R, Robledo G, Caro M, O'Valle F, Campos-Salinas J, Delgado M. Neuropeptide Cortistatin Regulates Dermal and Pulmonary Fibrosis in an Experimental Model of Systemic Sclerosis. Neuroendocrinology 2022; 112:784-795. [PMID: 34649259 DOI: 10.1159/000520194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a complex connective tissue disorder characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy, and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Because its aetiology is unknown, the identification of genes/factors involved in disease severity, differential clinical forms, and associated complications is critical for understanding its pathogenesis and designing novel treatments. Neuroendocrine mediators in the skin emerge as potential candidates. We investigated the role played by the neuropeptide cortistatin in a preclinical model of scleroderma. METHODS Dermal fibrosis was induced by repetitive intradermal injections of bleomycin in wild-type and cortistatin-deficient mice. The histopathological signs and expression of fibrotic markers were evaluated in the skin and lungs. RESULTS An inverse correlation between cortistatin levels and fibrogenic activation exists in the damaged skin and dermal fibroblasts. Bleomycin-challenged skin lesions of mice that are partially and totally deficient in cortistatin showed exacerbated histopathological signs of scleroderma, characterized by thicker and more fibrotic dermal layer, enlarged epidermis, and increased inflammatory infiltration in comparison to those of wild-type mice. Cortistatin deficiency enhanced dermal collagen deposits, connective tissue growth factor expression, loss of microvessels, and predisposition to suffer severe complications that co-occur with dermal exposition to bleomycin, including pulmonary fibrotic disease and increased mortality. Treatment with cortistatin mitigated these pathological processes. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION We identify cortistatin as an endogenous break of skin inflammation and fibrosis. Deficiency in cortistatin could be a marker of poor prognosis of scleroderma and associated complications. Cortistatin-based therapies emerge as attractive candidates to treat severe forms of systemic sclerosis and to manage fibrosis-related side effects of bleomycin chemotherapy in oncologic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Barriga
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Raquel Benitez
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Gema Robledo
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Marta Caro
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco O'Valle
- Pathology Department, School of Medicine, IBIMER, CIBM, University of Granada and Biosanitary Research Institute IBS-Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jenny Campos-Salinas
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Mario Delgado
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez-Neyra IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
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Li M, Zhang HP, Wang XY, Chen ZG, Lin XF, Zhu W. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Dermal Fibrosis in a Murine Model of Bleomycin-Induced Scleroderma. Stem Cells Dev 2021; 30:981-990. [PMID: 34428952 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2021.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising therapeutic strategy for scleroderma. Exosomes derived from MSCs (MSC-exosomes) possess functional properties similar to those of their source cells. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of MSC-exosomes in the treatment of scleroderma. MSC-exosomes were isolated from human umbilical cords through ultracentrifugation and characterized. An experimental fibrosis model was established in BALB/c mice by a subcutaneous injection of bleomycin, followed by treatment with MSC-exosomes or MSC infusions once a week for a total of four doses. Using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining and immunohistochemistry, hydroxyproline content, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses, we investigated the effects of MSC-exosomes on dermal fibrosis and explored the underlying mechanism. MSC-exosome treatment restored the dermal architecture, reduced dermal thickness, and partially increased subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness. In addition, MSC-exosomes inhibited the expression of collagen (COL)-I, COL-III, and α-smooth muscle actin. The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway was also suppressed in MSC-exosome-treated mice. Taken together, our results suggest that MSC-exosomes can attenuate myofibroblast activation and collagen deposition in dermal fibrosis by downregulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Therefore, the use of MSC-exosomes may be a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of scleroderma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Li
- Department of Dermatology and Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Ping Zhang
- Department of Dermatology and Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Yao Wang
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Chen
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Fei Lin
- Department of Dermatology and Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Dermatology and Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
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Aarntzen EHJG, Noriega-Álvarez E, Artiko V, Dias AH, Gheysens O, Glaudemans AWJM, Lauri C, Treglia G, van den Wyngaert T, van Leeuwen FWB, Terry SYA. EANM recommendations based on systematic analysis of small animal radionuclide imaging in inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases. EJNMMI Res 2021; 11:85. [PMID: 34487263 PMCID: PMC8421483 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-021-00820-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases represent a group of chronic and disabling conditions that evolve from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that cause perturbations in innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding the pathogenesis of inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases is, to a large extent, derived from preclinical and basic research experiments. In vivo molecular imaging enables us to study molecular targets and to measure biochemical processes non-invasively and longitudinally, providing information on disease processes and potential therapeutic strategies, e.g. efficacy of novel therapeutic interventions, which is of complementary value next to ex vivo (post mortem) histopathological analysis and molecular assays. Remarkably, the large body of preclinical imaging studies in inflammatory musculoskeletal disease is in contrast with the limited reports on molecular imaging in clinical practice and clinical guidelines. Therefore, in this EANM-endorsed position paper, we performed a systematic review of the preclinical studies in inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases that involve radionuclide imaging, with a detailed description of the animal models used. From these reflections, we provide recommendations on what future studies in this field should encompass to facilitate a greater impact of radionuclide imaging techniques on the translation to clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik H J G Aarntzen
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Edel Noriega-Álvarez
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General University Hospital of Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Vera Artiko
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Nuclear Medicine Clinical Center of Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - André H Dias
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Olivier Gheysens
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Institute of Clinical and Experimental Research (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andor W J M Glaudemans
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Medical Imaging Center, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Chiara Lauri
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and of Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Treglia
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Tim van den Wyngaert
- Bone and Joint Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Antwerp University Hospital Belgium, Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA) - IPPON, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Fijs W B van Leeuwen
- Translational Molecular Imaging and Therapy Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Radiology, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Samantha Y A Terry
- Inflammation and Infection Committee EANM, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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5
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Marangoni RG, Korman BD, Parra ER, Velosa APP, Barbeiro HV, Martins V, Dos Santos ABG, Soriano F, Teodoro WR, Silva PL, Tourtellotte W, Capelozzi VL, Varga J, Yoshinari NH. Pathological pulmonary vascular remodeling is induced by type V collagen in a model of scleroderma. Pathol Res Pract 2021; 220:153382. [PMID: 33647866 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The pulmonary vascular remodeling in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is poorly understood and animal models are lacking. Type V collagen (COLV) is elevated in SSc and is implicated in the pathogenesis, and immunization with human COLV induces SSc-like skin and lung changes in rabbits and mice. Here we tested the hypothesis that COLV immunization will induce pathological and functional changes that phenocopy SSc-associated pulmonary vascular disease. METHODS Pulmonary vascular changes in rabbits immunized with human COLV were extensively characterized by a combination of histology, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Physiologic changes induced by COLV in explanted pulmonary artery rings were evaluated. The pattern of histopathologic alterations and gene expression induced in immunized rabbits were compared to those in SSc patients. RESULTS COLV immunization was accompanied by striking pulmonary vascular abnormalities, characterized by reduced capillary density, perivascular inflammation, endothelial cell injury and collagen accumulation, that closely phenocopy changes seen in SSc patients. Moreover, pulmonary arteries from immunized rabbits showed impaired ex vivo vascular relaxation. Expression of COL5A2 was significantly increased in the lungs from immunized rabbits (p = 0.02), as well as in patients with SSc (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION COLV immunity in rabbits is associated with marked vascular remodeling in the lung that phenocopies early-stage human SSc-associated pulmonary vascular disease. COLV immunization therefore represents a novel approach to model SSc pulmonary vascular pathology. Moreover, our findings suggest that COLV might represent a novel pathogenic autoantigen in SSc and future studies with the present model should be developed for possible association with PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Goncalves Marangoni
- Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Benjamin D Korman
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Edwin R Parra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ana Paula P Velosa
- Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hermes V Barbeiro
- Clinical Laboratory in Emergency Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Martins
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Angela B G Dos Santos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Francisco Soriano
- Clinical Laboratory in Emergency Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Walcy R Teodoro
- Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro Leme Silva
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Warren Tourtellotte
- Department of Pathology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vera L Capelozzi
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Varga
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Natalino H Yoshinari
- Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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6
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Löfdahl A, Tornling G, Wigén J, Larsson-Callerfelt AK, Wenglén C, Westergren-Thorsson G. Pathological Insight into 5-HT 2B Receptor Activation in Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010225. [PMID: 33379351 PMCID: PMC7796180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of more than 200 conditions, of which primarily idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, ILD associated with autoimmune diseases and sarcoidosis may present a progressive fibrosing (PF) phenotype. Despite different aetiology and histopathological patterns, the PF-ILDs have similarities regarding disease mechanisms with self-sustaining fibrosis, which suggests that the diseases may share common pathogenetic pathways. Previous studies show an enhanced activation of serotonergic signaling in pulmonary fibrosis, and the serotonin (5-HT)2 receptors have been implicated to have important roles in observed profibrotic actions. Our research findings in support by others, demonstrate antifibrotic effects with 5-HT2B receptor antagonists, alleviating several key events common for the fibrotic diseases such as myofibroblast differentiation and connective tissue deposition. In this review, we will address the potential role of 5-HT and in particular the 5-HT2B receptors in three PF-ILDs: ILD associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD), ILD associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD) and IPF. Highlighting the converging pathways in these diseases discloses the 5-HT2B receptor as a potential disease target for PF-ILDs, which today have an urgent unmet need for therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Löfdahl
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C12, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (J.W.); (A.-K.L.-C.); (G.W.-T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Göran Tornling
- AnaMar AB, Medicon Village, Scheeletorget 1, 22381 Lund, Sweden; (C.W.); (G.T.)
- Respiratory Medicine Division, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jenny Wigén
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C12, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (J.W.); (A.-K.L.-C.); (G.W.-T.)
| | - Anna-Karin Larsson-Callerfelt
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C12, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (J.W.); (A.-K.L.-C.); (G.W.-T.)
| | - Christina Wenglén
- AnaMar AB, Medicon Village, Scheeletorget 1, 22381 Lund, Sweden; (C.W.); (G.T.)
| | - Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C12, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (J.W.); (A.-K.L.-C.); (G.W.-T.)
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7
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Guo XF, Zhang Z, Zheng L, Zhou YM, Wu HY, Liang CQ, Zhao H, Cai DQ, Qi XF. Developmental expression patterns of fosl genes in Xenopus tropicalis. Gene Expr Patterns 2019; 34:119056. [PMID: 31121318 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2019.119056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fos-like antigens (Fosl) including Fosl1 and Fosl2 exclusively heterodimerize with Jun members to form AP-1 complex, thereby participating in various cellular progresses including cell cycle regulation. However, expression patterns of these two genes during embryonic development remains largely unknown. In the present study, both temporal and spatial expression patterns of fosl1 and fosl2 were examined during embryonic development of Xenopus tropicalis. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the expression of the two genes was increased from stage 2 to stage 42. However, expression level of fosl1 is much higher than that of fosl2 at stage 42. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that fosl1 was expressed in eyes, branchial arch, notochord, otic vesicle, and liver. However, fosl2 was expressed in lung primordium from stage 34 to stage 38, in addition to the moderate expression in eyes and branchial arch at stage 42. Thus, the developmental expression patterns of these two fosl genes is different in Xenopus embryos. These results provide a basis for further functional study of these two genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Li Zheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yi-Min Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Hai-Yan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Chi-Qian Liang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dong-Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xu-Feng Qi
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Early-Life Gut Dysbiosis: A Driver of Later-Life Fibrosis? J Invest Dermatol 2017; 137:2253-2255. [PMID: 29055411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Using a novel mouse model of scleroderma induced by immunization with topoisomerase-I peptide-loaded dendritic cells, Mehta et al. found that early-life antibiotic exposure resulted in increased later-life fibrosis in the skin and lungs. These observations advance the novel concept that gut microbiome alterations caused by early-life exposures may contribute to scleroderma pathogenesis, and warrant in-depth characterization and validation in complementary disease models.
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Tsujino K, Li JT, Tsukui T, Ren X, Bakiri L, Wagner E, Sheppard D. Fra-2 negatively regulates postnatal alveolar septation by modulating myofibroblast function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2017; 313:L878-L888. [PMID: 28818870 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00062.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice that globally overexpress the transcription factor Fos-related antigen-2 (Fra-2) develop extensive pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary vascular remodeling. To determine if these phenotypes are a consequence of ectopic Fra-2 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts, we generated mice that overexpress Fra-2 specifically in these cell types (α-SMA-rtTA;tetO-Fra-2). Surprisingly, these mice did not develop vascular remodeling or pulmonary fibrosis but did develop a spontaneous emphysema-like phenotype characterized by alveolar enlargement. Secondary septa formation is an important step in the normal development of lung alveoli, and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA)-expressing fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) play a crucial role in this process. The mutant mice showed reduced numbers of secondary septa at postnatal day 7 and enlarged alveolae starting at postnatal day 12, suggesting impairment of secondary septa formation. Lineage tracing using α-SMA-rtTA mice crossed to a floxed TdTomato reporter revealed that embryonic expression of α-SMA Cre marked a population of cells that gave rise to nearly all alveolar myofibroblasts. Comprehensive transcriptome analyses (RNA sequencing) demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of genes whose expression was significantly altered by overexpression of Fra-2 in myofibroblasts encoded secreted proteins, components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and cell adhesion-associated genes, including coordinate upregulation of pairs of integrins and their principal ECM ligands. In addition, primary myofibroblasts isolated from the mutant mice showed reduced migration capacity. These findings suggest that Fra-2 overexpression might impair myofibroblast functions crucial for secondary septation, such as myofibroblast migration across alveoli, by perturbing interactions between integrins and locally produced components of the ECM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyuki Tsujino
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - John T Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California; and
| | - Tatsuya Tsukui
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Xin Ren
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Latifa Bakiri
- BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erwin Wagner
- BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dean Sheppard
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California;
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We discuss recent advances in evaluating and optimizing animal models of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Such models could be of value for illuminating etiopathogenesis using hypothesis-testing experimental approaches, for developing effective disease-modifying therapies, and for uncovering clinically relevant biomarkers. RECENT FINDINGS We describe recent advances in previously reported and novel animal models of SSc. The limitations of each animal model and their ability to recapitulate the pathophysiology of recognized molecular subsets of SSc are discussed. We highlight attrition of dermal white adipose tissue as a consistent pathological feature of dermal fibrosis in mouse models, and its relevance to SSc-associated cutaneous fibrosis. SUMMARY Several animal models potentially useful for studying SSc pathogenesis have been described. Recent studies highlight particular strengths and weaknesses of selected models in recapitulating distinct features of the human disease. When used in the appropriate experimental setting, and in combination, these models singly and together provide a powerful set of in-vivo tools to define underlying mechanisms of disease and to develop and evaluate effective antifibrotic therapies.
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11
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Tsujino K, Reed NI, Atakilit A, Ren X, Sheppard D. Transforming growth factor-β plays divergent roles in modulating vascular remodeling, inflammation, and pulmonary fibrosis in a murine model of scleroderma. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2016; 312:L22-L31. [PMID: 27864286 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00428.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficacy and feasibility of targeting transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) in pulmonary fibrosis and lung vascular remodeling in systemic sclerosis (SSc) have not been well elucidated. In this study we analyzed how blocking TGFβ signaling affects pulmonary abnormalities in Fos-related antigen 2 (Fra-2) transgenic (Tg) mice, a murine model that manifests three important lung pathological features of SSc: fibrosis, inflammation, and vascular remodeling. To interrupt TGFβ signaling in the Fra-2 Tg mice, we used a pan-TGFβ-blocking antibody, 1D11, and Tg mice in which TGFβ receptor type 2 (Tgfbr2) is deleted from smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts (α-SMA-CreER;Tgfbr2flox/flox). Global inhibition of TGFβ by 1D11 did not ameliorate lung fibrosis histologically or biochemically, whereas it resulted in a significant increase in the number of immune cells infiltrating the lungs. In contrast, 1D11 treatment ameliorated the severity of pulmonary vascular remodeling in Fra-2 Tg mice. Similarly, genetic deletion of Tgfbr2 from smooth muscle cells resulted in improvement of pulmonary vascular remodeling in the Fra-2 Tg mice, as well as a decrease in the number of Ki67-positive vascular smooth muscle cells, suggesting that TGFβ signaling contributes to development of pulmonary vascular remodeling by promoting the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Deletion of Tgfbr2 from α-smooth muscle actin-expressing cells had no effect on fibrosis or inflammation in this model. These results suggest that efforts to target TGFβ in SSc will likely require more precision than simply global inhibition of TGFβ function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyuki Tsujino
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Nilgun Isik Reed
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Amha Atakilit
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Xin Ren
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Dean Sheppard
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
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