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Durrani IA, John P, Bhatti A, Khan JS. Network medicine based approach for identifying the type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and triple negative breast cancer interactome: Finding the hub of hub genes. Heliyon 2024; 10:e36650. [PMID: 39281650 PMCID: PMC11401126 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of multi-morbidities, particularly the incidence of breast cancer in diabetic/osteoarthritic patients emphasize on the need for exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms resulting in carcinogenesis. To address this, present study employed a systems biology approach to identify switch genes pivotal to the crosstalk between diseased states resulting in multi-morbid conditions. Hub genes previously reported for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), osteoarthritis (OA), and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), were extracted from published literature and fed into an integrated bioinformatics analyses pipeline. Thirty-one hub genes common to all three diseases were identified. Functional enrichment analyses showed these were mainly enriched for immune and metabolism associated terms including advanced glycation end products (AGE) pathways, cancer pathways, particularly breast neoplasm, immune system signalling and adipose tissue. The T2DM-OA-TNBC interactome was subjected to protein-protein interaction network analyses to identify meta hub/clustered genes. These were prioritized and wired into a three disease signalling map presenting the enriched molecular crosstalk on T2DM-OA-TNBC axes to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease-disease interactions. Deciphering the molecular bases for the intertwined metabolic and immune states may potentiate the discovery of biomarkers critical for identifying and targeting the immuno-metabolic origin of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilhaam Ayaz Durrani
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Peter John
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Attya Bhatti
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
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2
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de la Cruz-Thea B, Natali L, Ho-Xuan H, Bruckmann A, Coll-Bonfill N, Strieder N, Peinado VI, Meister G, Musri MM. Differentiation and Growth-Arrest-Related lncRNA ( DAGAR): Initial Characterization in Human Smooth Muscle and Fibroblast Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9497. [PMID: 39273443 PMCID: PMC11394763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179497] [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: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) can transition between a quiescent contractile or "differentiated" phenotype and a "proliferative-dedifferentiated" phenotype in response to environmental cues, similar to what in occurs in the wound healing process observed in fibroblasts. When dysregulated, these processes contribute to the development of various lung and cardiovascular diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key modulators of SMC differentiation and phenotypic changes. In this study, we examined the expression of lncRNAs in primary human pulmonary artery SMCs (hPASMCs) during cell-to-cell contact-induced SMC differentiation. We discovered a novel lncRNA, which we named Differentiation And Growth Arrest-Related lncRNA (DAGAR) that was significantly upregulated in the quiescent phenotype with respect to proliferative SMCs and in cell-cycle-arrested MRC5 lung fibroblasts. We demonstrated that DAGAR expression is essential for SMC quiescence and its knockdown hinders SMC differentiation. The treatment of quiescent SMCs with the pro-inflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), a known inducer of SMC dedifferentiation and proliferation, elicited DAGAR downregulation. Consistent with this, we observed diminished DAGAR expression in pulmonary arteries from COPD patients compared to non-smoker controls. Through pulldown experiments followed by mass spectrometry analysis, we identified several proteins that interact with DAGAR that are related to cell differentiation, the cell cycle, cytoskeleton organization, iron metabolism, and the N-6-Methyladenosine (m6A) machinery. In conclusion, our findings highlight DAGAR as a novel lncRNA that plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell proliferation and SMC differentiation. This paper underscores the potential significance of DAGAR in SMC and fibroblast physiology in health and disease.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics
- RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism
- Fibroblasts/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Cell Proliferation/genetics
- Pulmonary Artery/metabolism
- Pulmonary Artery/cytology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/cytology
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/genetics
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/pathology
- Cells, Cultured
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin de la Cruz-Thea
- Mercedes and Martin Ferreyra Medical Research Institute, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, National University of Córdoba (INIMEC-CONICET-UNC), Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - Lautaro Natali
- Mercedes and Martin Ferreyra Medical Research Institute, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, National University of Córdoba (INIMEC-CONICET-UNC), Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - Hung Ho-Xuan
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry (RCB), Laboratory for RNA Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Astrid Bruckmann
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry (RCB), Laboratory for RNA Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Núria Coll-Bonfill
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Nicholas Strieder
- NGS-Core, LIT-Leibniz-Institute for Immunotherapy, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Víctor I Peinado
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Biomedical Research Institut August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gunter Meister
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry (RCB), Laboratory for RNA Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Melina M Musri
- Mercedes and Martin Ferreyra Medical Research Institute, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, National University of Córdoba (INIMEC-CONICET-UNC), Córdoba 5016, Argentina
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3
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Noom A, Sawitzki B, Knaus P, Duda GN. A two-way street - cellular metabolism and myofibroblast contraction. NPJ Regen Med 2024; 9:15. [PMID: 38570493 PMCID: PMC10991391 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-024-00359-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Tissue fibrosis is characterised by the high-energy consumption associated with myofibroblast contraction. Although myofibroblast contraction relies on ATP production, the role of cellular metabolism in myofibroblast contraction has not yet been elucidated. Studies have so far only focused on myofibroblast contraction regulators, such as integrin receptors, TGF-β and their shared transcription factor YAP/TAZ, in a fibroblast-myofibroblast transition setting. Additionally, the influence of the regulators on metabolism and vice versa have been described in this context. However, this has so far not yet been connected to myofibroblast contraction. This review focuses on the known and unknown of how cellular metabolism influences the processes leading to myofibroblast contraction and vice versa. We elucidate the signalling cascades responsible for myofibroblast contraction by looking at FMT regulators, mechanical cues, biochemical signalling, ECM properties and how they can influence and be influenced by cellular metabolism. By reviewing the existing knowledge on the link between cellular metabolism and the regulation of myofibroblast contraction, we aim to pinpoint gaps of knowledge and eventually help identify potential research targets to identify strategies that would allow switching tissue fibrosis towards tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Noom
- Julius Wolff Institute (JWI), Berlin Institute of Health and Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Sawitzki
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt University of Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Center of Immunomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Knaus
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georg N Duda
- Julius Wolff Institute (JWI), Berlin Institute of Health and Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
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4
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Leong E, Al-Bitar H, Marshall JS, Bezuhly M. Ketotifen directly modifies the fibrotic response of human skin fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7076. [PMID: 38528089 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57776-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is a destructive, end-stage disease process. In the skin, it is associated with systemic sclerosis and scarring with considerable health burden. Ketotifen is a clinical antihistamine and mast cell stabilizer. Studies have demonstrated mast cell-dependent anti-fibrotic effects of ketotifen but direct effects on fibroblasts have not been determined. Human dermal fibroblasts were treated with pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ) followed by ketotifen or control treatments to determine direct effects on fibrotic fibroblasts. Ketotifen impaired TGFβ-induced α-smooth muscle actin gene and protein responses and decreased cytoskeletal- and contractility-associated gene responses associated with fibrosis. Ketotifen reduced Yes-associated protein phosphorylation, transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif transcript and protein levels, and phosphorylation of protein kinase B. In a fibroblast-populated collagen gel contraction assay, ketotifen reduced the contractile activity of TGFβ-activated fibroblasts. In a murine model of bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis, collagen density and dermal thickness were significantly decreased in ketotifen-treated mice supporting in vitro findings. These results support a novel, direct anti-fibrotic activity of ketotifen, reducing pro-fibrotic phenotypic changes in fibroblasts and reducing collagen fibres in fibrotic mouse skin. Together, these findings suggest novel therapeutic potential and a novel mechanism of action for ketotifen in the context of fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Leong
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Room 7-C, PO BOX 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Haya Al-Bitar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Jean S Marshall
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Room 7-C, PO BOX 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, Canada.
| | - Michael Bezuhly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, Canada.
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre, 5850/5980 University Avenue, PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada.
- Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
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5
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Wang Y, Ding T, Jiang X. Network Pharmacology Study on Herb Pair Bletilla striata-Galla chinensis in the Treatment of Chronic Skin Ulcers. Curr Pharm Des 2024; 30:1354-1376. [PMID: 38571354 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128288490240322055201] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Herb pair Bletilla striata-Galla chinensis (BS-GC) is a classic combination of topical traditional Chinese medicine formulae in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers (CSUs). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the effective active ingredients of BS-GC, as well as the core targets and signal transduction pathways of its action on CSUs. METHODS The ingredients of BS-GC were obtained from TCMSP and HERB databases. The targets of all active ingredients were retrieved from the SwissTargetPrediction database. The targets of CSUs were obtained from OMIM, GeneCards, Drugbank, and DisGeNET databases. A drug-disease target protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to select the most core targets, and an herb-ingredient-target network was built by utilizing Cytoscape 3.7.2. Furthermore, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) analysis and verified the results of network pharmacology through molecular docking. RESULTS A total of 40 active ingredients from the herb pair BS-GC were initially screened, and a total of 528 targets were retrieved. Meanwhile, the total number of CSU targets was 1032. Then, the number of common targets between BS-GC and CSUs was 107. The 13 core targets of herb pair BS-GC with CSUs were filtered out according to the PPI network, including AKT1, TNF, EGFR, BCL2, HIF1A, MMP-9, etc. The 5 main core active ingredients were 1-(4-Hydroxybenzyl)-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-4,7-diol, 1-(4- Hydroxybenzyl)-4-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2,7-diol, physcion, dihydromyricetin, and myricetin. The main biological processes were inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune response, involving the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, HIF-1 signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and calcium signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed good binding activity between the 5 main core active ingredients and 13 core targets. CONCLUSION This study predicted the core targets and signal transduction pathways in the treatment of CSUs to provide a reference for further molecular mechanism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Tengteng Ding
- School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xing Jiang
- School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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6
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Xu L, Jiang H, Xie J, Xu Q, Zhou J, Lu X, Wang M, Dong L, Zuo D. Mannan-binding lectin ameliorates renal fibrosis by suppressing macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21882. [PMID: 38034794 PMCID: PMC10685189 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is a pattern-recognition molecule that plays a crucial role in innate immunity. MBL deficiency correlates with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully defined. Here, we established a CKD model in wild-type (WT) and MBL-deficient (MBL-/-) mice via unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The result showed that MBL deficiency aggravated the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis in CKD mice. Strikingly, the in vivo macrophage depletion investigation revealed that macrophages play an essential role in the MBL-mediated suppression of renal fibrosis. We found that MBL limited the progression of macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition (MMT) in kidney tissues of UUO mice. Further in vitro study showed that MBL-/- macrophages exhibited significantly increased levels of fibrotic-related molecules compared with WT cells upon transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) stimulation. We demonstrated that MBL inhibited the MMT process by suppressing the production of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and activation of Akt signaling. In summary, our study revealed an expected role of MBL on macrophage transition during renal fibrosis, thus offering new insight into the potential of MBL as a therapeutic target for CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xu
- Clinical Research Institute of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Medical University Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, 524045, China
| | - Honglian Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510030, China
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Jingwen Xie
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Qishan Xu
- Clinical Research Institute of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Medical University Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, 524045, China
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Mingyong Wang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
- School of Medical Technology, Shangqiu Medical College, Shangqiu, 476100, China
| | - Lijun Dong
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Daming Zuo
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
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7
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Luu RJ, Hoefler BC, Gard AL, Ritenour CR, Rogers MT, Kim ES, Coppeta JR, Cain BP, Isenberg BC, Azizgolshani H, Fajardo-Ramirez OR, García-Cardeña G, Lech MP, Tomlinson L, Charest JL, Williams C. Fibroblast activation in response to TGFβ1 is modulated by co-culture with endothelial cells in a vascular organ-on-chip platform. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1160851. [PMID: 37577751 PMCID: PMC10421749 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1160851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Tissue fibrosis is a major healthcare burden that affects various organs in the body for which no effective treatments exist. An underlying, emerging theme across organs and tissue types at early stages of fibrosis is the activation of pericytes and/or fibroblasts in the perivascular space. In hepatic tissue, it is well known that liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (EC) help maintain the quiescence of stellate cells, but whether this phenomenon holds true for other endothelial and perivascular cell types is not well studied. Methods: The goal of this work was to develop an organ-on-chip microvascular model to study the effect of EC co-culture on the activation of perivascular cells perturbed by the pro-fibrotic factor TGFβ1. A high-throughput microfluidic platform, PREDICT96, that was capable of imparting physiologically relevant fluid shear stress on the cultured endothelium was utilized. Results: We first studied the activation response of several perivascular cell types and selected a cell source, human dermal fibroblasts, that exhibited medium-level activation in response to TGFβ1. We also demonstrated that the PREDICT96 high flow pump triggered changes in select shear-responsive factors in human EC. We then found that the activation response of fibroblasts was significantly blunted in co-culture with EC compared to fibroblast mono-cultures. Subsequent studies with conditioned media demonstrated that EC-secreted factors play at least a partial role in suppressing the activation response. A Luminex panel and single cell RNA-sequencing study provided additional insight into potential EC-derived factors that could influence fibroblast activation. Conclusion: Overall, our findings showed that EC can reduce myofibroblast activation of perivascular cells in response to TGFβ1. Further exploration of EC-derived factors as potential therapeutic targets in fibrosis is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeccah J. Luu
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - B. Christopher Hoefler
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ashley L. Gard
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Miles T. Rogers
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ernest S. Kim
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Coppeta
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Brian P. Cain
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Brett C. Isenberg
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Hesham Azizgolshani
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Oscar R. Fajardo-Ramirez
- Laboratory for Systems Mechanobiology, Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Guillermo García-Cardeña
- Laboratory for Systems Mechanobiology, Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | - Joseph L. Charest
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Corin Williams
- Bioengineering Division, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
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8
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Shan S, Liu F, Ford E, Caldwell RB, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Triciribine attenuates pathological neovascularization and vascular permeability in a mouse model of proliferative retinopathy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 162:114714. [PMID: 37080089 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Proliferative retinopathies are the leading cause of irreversible blindness in all ages, and there is a critical need to identify novel therapies. We investigated the impact of triciribine (TCBN), a tricyclic nucleoside analog and a weak Akt inhibitor, on retinal neurovascular injury, vascular permeability, and inflammation in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Post-natal day 7 (P7) mouse pups were subjected to OIR, and treated (i.p.) with TCBN or vehicle from P14-P16 and compared with age-matched, normoxic, vehicle or TCBN-treated controls. P17 retinas were processed for flat mounts, immunostaining, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR studies. Fluorescein angiography, electroretinography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were performed on days P21, P26, and P30, respectively. TCBN treatment significantly reduced pathological neovascularization, vaso-obliteration, and inflammation marked by reduced TNFα, IL6, MCP-1, Iba1, and F4/80 (macrophage/microglia markers) expression compared to the vehicle-treated OIR mouse retinas. Pathological expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), and claudin-5 compromised the blood-retinal barrier integrity in the OIR retinas correlating with increased vascular permeability and neovascular tuft formation, which were blunted by TCBN treatment. Of note, there were no changes in the retinal architecture or retinal cell function in response to TCBN in the normoxia or OIR mice. We conclude that TCBN protects against pathological neovascularization, restores blood-retinal barrier homeostasis, and reduces retinal inflammation without adversely affecting the retinal structure and neuronal function in a mouse model of OIR. Our data suggest that TCBN may provide a novel therapeutic option for proliferative retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengshuai Shan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Research Department, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30901, USA; Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Research Department, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30901, USA; Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Edith Ford
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Ruth B Caldwell
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - S Priya Narayanan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Research Department, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30901, USA; Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA; Research Department, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30901, USA; Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
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9
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Hironaka T, Takizawa N, Yamauchi Y, Horii Y, Nakaya M. The well-developed actin cytoskeleton and Cthrc1 expression by actin-binding protein drebrin in myofibroblasts promote cardiac and hepatic fibrosis. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102934. [PMID: 36690273 PMCID: PMC9988570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is mainly triggered by inflammation in various tissues, such as heart and liver tissues, and eventually leads to their subsequent dysfunction. Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins (e.g., collagens) produced by myofibroblasts. The well-developed actin cytoskeleton of myofibroblasts, one of the main features differentiating them from resident fibroblasts in tissues under inflammatory conditions, contributes to maintaining their ability to produce excessive extracellular matrix proteins. However, the molecular mechanisms via which the actin cytoskeleton promotes the production of fibrosis-related genes in myofibroblasts remain unclear. In this study, we found, via single-cell analysis, that developmentally regulated brain protein (drebrin), an actin-binding protein, was specifically expressed in cardiac myofibroblasts with a well-developed actin cytoskeleton in fibrotic hearts. Moreover, our immunocytochemistry analysis revealed that drebrin promoted actin cytoskeleton formation and myocardin-related transcription factor-serum response factor signaling. Comprehensive single-cell analysis and RNA-Seq revealed that the expression of collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (Cthrc1), a fibrosis-promoting secreted protein, was regulated by drebrin in cardiac myofibroblasts via myocardin-related transcription factor-serum response factor signaling. Furthermore, we observed the profibrotic effects of drebrin exerted via actin cytoskeleton formation and the Cthrc1 expression regulation by drebrin in liver myofibroblasts (hepatic stellate cells). Importantly, RNA-Seq demonstrated that drebrin expression levels increased in human fibrotic heart and liver tissues. In summary, our results indicated that the well-developed actin cytoskeleton and Cthrc1 expression due to drebrin in myofibroblasts promoted cardiac and hepatic fibrosis, suggesting that drebrin is a therapeutic target molecule for fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Hironaka
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Noburo Takizawa
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuto Yamauchi
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuma Horii
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Michio Nakaya
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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10
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Artham S, Chang CY, McDonnell DP. Eosinophilia in cancer and its regulation by sex hormones. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2023; 34:5-20. [PMID: 36443206 PMCID: PMC10122120 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Gender differences in the functionality of the immune system have been attributed, in part, to direct and indirect effects of sex steroids, especially estrogens, on immune cell repertoire and activity. Notable are studies that have defined roles for estrogens in the regulation of the biology of dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Although estrogens can modulate eosinophil function, the mechanisms by which this occurs and how it contributes to the pathobiology of different diseases remains underexplored. Furthermore, although the importance of eosinophils in infection is well established, it remains unclear as to how these innate immune cells, which are present in different tumors, impact the biology of cancer cells and/or response to therapeutics. The observation that eosinophilia influences the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) is significant considering the role of estrogens as regulators of eosinophil function and recent studies suggesting that response to ICBs is impacted by gender. Thus, in this review, we consider what is known about the roles of estrogen(s) in regulating tissue eosinophilia/eosinophil function and how this influences the pathobiology of breast cancer (in particular). This information provides the context for a discussion of how estrogens/the estrogen receptor (ER) signaling axis can be targeted in eosinophils and how this would be expected to influence the activity of standard-of-care interventions and contemporary immunotherapy regimens in cancer(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Artham
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ching-Yi Chang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Donald P McDonnell
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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11
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Mei J, Zhou J, Kong L, Dai Y, Zhang X, Song W, Zhu C. An injectable photo-cross-linking silk hydrogel system augments diabetic wound healing in orthopaedic surgery through spatiotemporal immunomodulation. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:232. [PMID: 35568914 PMCID: PMC9107711 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01414-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complicated hyperglycaemic and chronic inflammation of diabetic wounds in orthopaedic surgery leads to dysregulated immune cell function and potential infection risk. Immune interventions in diabetic wounds face a possible contradiction between simultaneous establishment of the pro-inflammatory microenvironment in response to potential bacterial invasion and the anti-inflammatory microenvironment required for tissue repair. To study this contradiction and accelerate diabetic-wound healing, we developed a photocurable methacryloxylated silk fibroin hydrogel (Sil-MA) system, co-encapsulated with metformin-loaded mesoporous silica microspheres (MET@MSNs) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). RESULTS The hydrogel system (M@M-Ag-Sil-MA) enhanced diabetic-wound healing via spatiotemporal immunomodulation. Sil-MA imparts a hydrogel system with rapid in situ Ultra-Violet-photocurable capability and allows preliminary controlled release of Ag NPs, which can inhibit bacterial aggregation and create a stable, sterile microenvironment. The results confirmed the involvement of Met in the immunomodulatory effects following spatiotemporal dual-controlled release via the mesoporous silica and Sil-MA. Hysteresis-released from Met shifts the M1 phenotype of macrophages in regions of diabetic trauma to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Simultaneously, the M@M-Ag-Sil-MA system inhibited the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and decreased the release of neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase, and NETs-induced pro-inflammatory factors. As a result of modulating the immune microenvironmental, the M@M-Ag-Sil-MA system promoted fibroblast migration and endothelial cell angiogenesis in vivo, with verification of enhanced diabetic-wound healing accompanied with the spatiotemporal immunoregulation of macrophages and NETs in a diabetic mouse model. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that the M@M-Ag-Sil-MA hydrogel system resolved the immune contradiction in diabetic wounds through spatiotemporal immunomodulation of macrophages and NETs, suggesting its potential as a promising engineered nano-dressing for the treatment of diabetic wounds in orthopaedic surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Mei
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.,Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Lingtong Kong
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Yong Dai
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Xianzuo Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
| | - Wenqi Song
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Chen Zhu
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
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12
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David MA, Reiter AJ, Dunham CL, Castile RM, Abraham JA, Iannucci LE, Shah ID, Havlioglu N, Chamberlain AM, Lake SP. Pleiotropic Effects of Simvastatin and Losartan in Preclinical Models of Post-Traumatic Elbow Contracture. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:803403. [PMID: 35265595 PMCID: PMC8899197 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.803403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Elbow trauma can lead to post-traumatic joint contracture (PTJC), which is characterized by loss of motion associated with capsule/ligament fibrosis and cartilage damage. Unfortunately, current therapies are often unsuccessful or cause complications. This study aimed to determine the effects of prophylactically administered simvastatin (SV) and losartan (LS) in two preclinical models of elbow PTJC: an in vivo elbow-specific rat injury model and an in vitro collagen gel contraction assay. The in vivo elbow rat (n = 3-10/group) injury model evaluated the effects of orally administered SV and LS at two dosing strategies [i.e., low dose/high frequency/short duration (D1) vs. high dose/low frequency/long duration (D2)] on post-mortem elbow range of motion (via biomechanical testing) as well as capsule fibrosis and cartilage damage (via histopathology). The in vitro gel contraction assay coupled with live/dead staining (n = 3-19/group) evaluated the effects of SV and LS at various concentrations (i.e., 1, 10, 100 µM) and durations (i.e., continuous, short, or delayed) on the contractibility and viability of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts [i.e., NIH3T3 fibroblasts with endogenous transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ1)]. In vivo, no drug strategy prevented elbow contracture biomechanically. Histologically, only SV-D2 modestly reduced capsule fibrosis but maintained elevated cellularity and tissue hypertrophy, and both SV strategies lessened cartilage damage. SV modest benefits were localized to the anterior region, not the posterior, of the joint. Neither LS strategy had meaningful benefits in capsule nor cartilage. In vitro, irrespective of the presence of TGFβ1, SV (≥10 μM) prevented gel contraction partly by decreasing cell viability (100 μM). In contrast, LS did not prevent gel contraction or affect cell viability. This study demonstrates that SV, but not LS, might be suitable prophylactic drug therapy in two preclinical models of elbow PTJC. Results provide initial insight to guide future preclinical studies aimed at preventing or mitigating elbow PTJC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. David
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Alex J. Reiter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Chelsey L. Dunham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ryan M. Castile
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - James A. Abraham
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Leanne E. Iannucci
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ishani D. Shah
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Necat Havlioglu
- Department of Pathology, John Cochran VA Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Aaron M. Chamberlain
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Spencer P. Lake
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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13
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De Marco M, Del Papa N, Reppucci F, Iorio V, Basile A, Falco A, Iaccarino R, Brongo S, De Caro F, Capunzo M, Turco MC, Rosati A, Marzullo L. BAG3 induces α-SMA expression in human fibroblasts and its over-expression correlates with poorer survival in fibrotic cancer patients. J Cell Biochem 2021; 123:91-101. [PMID: 34741483 PMCID: PMC9297854 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia and angiogenesis in solid tumors are often strictly linked to the development of fibrotic tissues, a detrimental event that compromises the antitumor immunity. As a consequence, tumor aggressiveness and poor patient prognosis relate to higher incidence of tissue fibrosis and stromal stiffness. The molecular pathways through which normal fibroblasts are converted in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have a central role in the onset of fibrosis in tumor stroma, thus emerging as a strategic target of novel therapeutic approaches for cancer disease. Several studies addressed the role of BAG3 in sustaining growth and survival of cancer cell and also shed light on the different mechanisms in which the intracellular protein is involved. More recently, new pieces of evidence revealed a pivotal role of extracellular BAG3 in pro-tumor cell signaling in the tumor microenvironment, as well as its involvement in the development of fibrosis in tumor tissues. Here we report further data showing the presence of the BAG3 receptor (Interferon-induced transmembrane protein [IFITM]-2) on the plasma membrane of normal dermal fibroblasts and the activity of BAG3 as a factor able to induce the expression of α-smooth muscle actin and the phosphorylation of AKT and focal adhesion kinase, that sustain CAF functions in tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, in agreement with these findings, bag3 gene expression has been analyzed by high throughput RNA sequencing databases from patients-derived xenografts. A strong correlation between bag3 gene expression and patients' survival was found in several types of fibrotic tumors. The results obtained provide encouraging data that identify BAG3 as a promising therapeutic target to counteract fibrosis in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot De Marco
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Del Papa
- Rheumatology Department, Scleroderma Unit, G. Pini Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Reppucci
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Vittoria Iorio
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Anna Basile
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonia Falco
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Roberta Iaccarino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Sergio Brongo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Francesco De Caro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Mario Capunzo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Maria Caterina Turco
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rosati
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Liberato Marzullo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.,R&D Division, BIOUNIVERSA s.r.l., Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
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14
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Phillips AT, Boumil EF, Castro N, Venkatesan A, Gallo E, Adams JJ, Sidhu SS, Bernstein AM. USP10 Promotes Fibronectin Recycling, Secretion, and Organization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:15. [PMID: 34665194 PMCID: PMC8543399 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.13.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Integrins play a central role in myofibroblast pathological adhesion, over-contraction, and TGFβ activation. Previously, we demonstrated that after corneal wounding, αv integrins are protected from intracellular degradation by upregulation of the deubiquitinase USP10, leading to cell-surface integrin accumulation. Because integrins bind to and internalize extracellular matrix (ECM), we tested whether extracellular fibronectin (FN) accumulation can result from an increase in integrin and matrix recycling in primary human corneal fibroblasts (HCFs). Methods Primary HCFs were isolated from cadaver eyes. HCFs were transfected with either USP10 cDNA or control cDNA by nucleofection. Internalized FN was quantified with a FN ELISA. Recycled extracellular integrin and FN were detected with streptavidin-488 by live cell confocal microscopy (Zeiss LSM 780). Endogenous FN extra domain A was detected by immunocytochemistry. Cell size and removal of FN from the cell surface was determined by flow cytometry. Results USP10 overexpression increased α5β1 (1.9-fold; P < 0.001) and αv (1.7-fold; P < 0.05) integrin recycling, with a concomitant increase in biotinylated FN internalization (2.1-fold; P < 0.05) and recycling over 4 days (1.7–2.2-fold; P < 0.05). The dependence of FN recycling on integrins was demonstrated by α5β1 and αv integrin blocking antibodies, which, compared with control IgG, decreased biotinylated FN recycling (62% and 84%, respectively; P < 0.05). Overall, we established that extracellular FN was composed of approximately 1/3 recycled biotinylated FN and 2/3 endogenously secreted FN. Conclusions Our data suggest that reduced integrin degradation with a subsequent increase in integrin/FN recycling after wounding may be a newly identified mechanism for the characteristic accumulation of ECM in corneal scar tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Phillips
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Edward F Boumil
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Nileyma Castro
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States.,Syracuse VA Medical Center, New York VA Health Care, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Arunkumar Venkatesan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Eugenio Gallo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jarrett J Adams
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sachdev S Sidhu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Audrey M Bernstein
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States.,Syracuse VA Medical Center, New York VA Health Care, Syracuse, New York, United States
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15
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Adil MS, Verma A, Rudraraju M, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Akt-independent effects of triciribine on ACE2 expression in human lung epithelial cells: Potential benefits in restricting SARS-CoV2 infection. J Cell Physiol 2021; 236:6597-6606. [PMID: 33624300 PMCID: PMC8014085 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to gain cellular entry. Akt inhibitor triciribine (TCBN) has demonstrated promising results in promoting recovery from advanced-stage acute lung injury in preclinical studies. In the current study, we tested the direct effect of TCBN on ACE2 expression in human bronchial (H441) and lung alveolar (A549) epithelial cells. Treatment with TCBN resulted in the downregulation of both messenger RNA and protein levels of ACE2 in A549 cells. Since HMGB1 plays a vital role in the inflammatory response in COVID-19, and because hyperglycemia has been linked to increased COVID-19 infections, we determined if HMGB1 and hyperglycemia have any effect on ACE2 expression in lung epithelial cells and whether TCBN has any effect on reversing HMGB1- and hyperglycemia-induced ACE2 expression. We observed increased ACE2 expression with both HMGB1 and hyperglycemia treatment in A549 as well as H441 cells, which were blunted by TCBN treatment. Our findings from this study, combined with our previous reports on the potential benefits of TCBN in the treatment of acute lung injury, generate reasonable optimism on the potential utility of TCBN in the therapeutic management of patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mir S. Adil
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterUniversity of GeorgiaAugustaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterUniversity of GeorgiaAugustaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Madhuri Rudraraju
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterUniversity of GeorgiaAugustaGeorgiaUSA
| | - S. Priya Narayanan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterUniversity of GeorgiaAugustaGeorgiaUSA,Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of GeorgiaAugusta UniversityAugustaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Payaningal R. Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterUniversity of GeorgiaAugustaGeorgiaUSA,Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of GeorgiaAugusta UniversityAugustaGeorgiaUSA,Department of MedicineAugusta UniversityAugustaGeorgiaUSA
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16
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Mergault C, Lisée F, Tiroille V, Magnien M, Parent C, Lenga Mabonda W, Sizaret D, Jaillet M, Crestani B, Marchand-Adam S, Plantier L. Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex represses human lung myofibroblast differentiation and attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:125-140. [PMID: 34453744 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Arp2/3 multiprotein complex regulates branched polymerisation of the actin cytoskeleton and may contribute to collagen synthesis and fibrogenesis in the lung. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Expression of Arp2/3 components was assessed in human lung fibroblasts and in the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in mice. The Arp2/3 complex was repressed with the allosteric inhibitor CK666 and with interfering RNAs targeting the ARP2, ARP3 and ARPC2 subunits (siARP2, siARP3 and siARPC2) in CCD-16Lu human lung fibroblasts in vitro. Mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of CK666 from the 7th to the 14th day after tracheal bleomycin instillation. KEY RESULTS Expression of Arp2/3 complex subunits mRNAs was increased in fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1 and in the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice compared with controls. In vitro, CK666 and siARPC2 inhibited cell growth and TGF-β1-induced α-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2) and collagen-1 (COL1) expression. CK666 also decreased ACTA2 and COL1 expression in unstimulated cells. CK666 reduced Akt phosphorylation and repressed phospho-GSK3β, β-catenin and MRTF-A levels in unstimulated fibroblasts. In vivo, CK666 reduced levels of both procollagen-1 and insoluble collagen in bleomycin-treated mice. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Expression of the Arp2/3 complex was increased in profibrotic environments in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex repressed ACTA2 and COL1 expression and repressed an Akt/phospho-GSK3β/β-catenin/MRTF-A pathway in lung fibroblasts. CK666 exerted antifibrotic properties in the lung in vivo. Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex could represent an interesting new therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic interstitial lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Mergault
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Fanny Lisée
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Victor Tiroille
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Mélia Magnien
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Christelle Parent
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France
| | - Woodys Lenga Mabonda
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Damien Sizaret
- CHRU de Tours, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Tours, France
| | | | - Bruno Crestani
- Université de Paris, Inserm UMR1152, Labex Inflamex, Paris, France.,Service de Pneumologie A, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Marchand-Adam
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France.,CHRU de Tours, Service de Pneumologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires, Tours, France
| | - Laurent Plantier
- Centre d'Etudes des Pathologies Respiratoires, Inserm UMR1100, Tours, France.,Université de Tours, Tours, France.,CHRU de Tours, Service de Pneumologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires, Tours, France
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17
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Li X, Ding Z, Wu Z, Xu Y, Yao H, Lin K. Targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway for fibrosis therapy: a patent review (2015-2020). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2021; 31:723-743. [PMID: 33645365 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2021.1896705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fibrosis is a serious disease that occurs in many organs, such as kidney, liver and lung. The deterioration of these organs ultimately leads to death. Due to the complex mechanisms of fibrosis, research and development of antifibrotic drugs is difficult. One solution is to focus on core pathways, one of which is the TGF-β signaling pathway. In virtually every type of fibrosis, TGF-β signaling is recognized as a critical pathway. AREA COVERED This review discusses patents on active molecules related to the TGF-β signaling. Molecules targeting components related to the activation of TGF-β are introduced. Several strategies preventing signal propagation from active TGF-β to downstream targets are also introduced, including TGF-β antibodies, TGF-β ligand traps, and inhibitors of TGF-β receptor kinases. Finally, molecules affecting downstream targets in both canonical and noncanonical TGF-β signaling pathways are described. EXPERT OPINION Since the approval of pirfenidone, targeting TGF-β signaling has been anticipated as an effective therapy for fibrosis. The potential of this therapy has been further supported by emerging patents on the TGF-β signaling. This pathway can be entirely inhibited, from the activation of TGF-β to downstream signaling. Inhibiting TGF-β signaling is expected to provide more effective treatments for fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanyi Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zixuan Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yinqiu Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Hequan Yao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kejiang Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Godbout E, Son DO, Hume S, Boo S, Sarrazy V, Clément S, Kapus A, Wehrle-Haller B, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Has C, Hinz B. Kindlin-2 Mediates Mechanical Activation of Cardiac Myofibroblasts. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122702. [PMID: 33348602 PMCID: PMC7766948 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We identify the focal adhesion protein kindlin-2 as player in a novel mechanotransduction pathway that controls profibrotic cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast activation. Kindlin-2 is co-upregulated with the myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in fibrotic rat hearts and in human cardiac fibroblasts exposed to fibrosis-stiff culture substrates and pro-fibrotic TGF-β1. Stressing fibroblasts using ferromagnetic microbeads, stretchable silicone membranes, and cell contraction agonists all result in kindlin-2 translocation to the nucleus. Overexpression of full-length kindlin-2 but not of kindlin-2 missing a putative nuclear localization sequence (∆NLS kindlin-2) results in increased α-SMA promoter activity. Downregulating kindlin-2 with siRNA leads to decreased myofibroblast contraction and reduced α-SMA expression, which is dependent on CC(A/T)-rich GG(CArG) box elements in the α-SMA promoter. Lost myofibroblast features under kindlin-2 knockdown are rescued with wild-type but not ∆NLS kindlin-2, indicating that myofibroblast control by kindlin-2 requires its nuclear translocation. Because kindlin-2 can act as a mechanotransducer regulating the transcription of α-SMA, it is a potential target to interfere with myofibroblast activation in tissue fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Godbout
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
| | - Dong Ok Son
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
| | - Stephanie Hume
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
| | - Stellar Boo
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
| | - Vincent Sarrazy
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
| | - Sophie Clément
- Division of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital, University of Geneva School of Medicine, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Andras Kapus
- Keenan Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada;
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | - Bernhard Wehrle-Haller
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Centre Médical Universitaire, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Leena Bruckner-Tuderman
- Medical Center and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (L.B.-T.); (C.H.)
| | - Cristina Has
- Medical Center and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (L.B.-T.); (C.H.)
| | - Boris Hinz
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada; (E.G.); (D.O.S.); (S.H.); (S.B.); (V.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-416-978-8728
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19
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Alharthi A, Verma A, Sabbineni H, Adil MS, Somanath PR. Distinct effects of pharmacological inhibition of stromelysin1 on endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and myofibroblast differentiation. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:5147-5161. [PMID: 33319933 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast (FibroMF) differentiation are frequently reported in organ fibrosis. Stromelysin1, a matrix metalloprotease-3 (MMP3) has been indicated in vascular pathologies and organ injuries that often lead to fibrosis. In the current study, we investigated the role of stromelysin1 in EndMT and FibroMF differentiation, which is currently unknown. In our results, whereas TGFβ2 treatment of endothelial cells (ECs) induced EndMT associated with increased expression of stromelysin1 and mesenchymal markers such as α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), N-cadherin, and activin linked kinase-5 (ALK5), inhibition of stromelysin1 blunted TGFβ2-induced EndMT. In contrast, treatment of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts with TGFβ1 promoted FibroMF differentiation accompanied by increased expression of αSMA, N-cadherin, and ALK5. Intriguingly, stromelysin1 inhibition in TGFβ1-stimulated myofibroblasts further exacerbated fibroproliferation with increased FibroMF marker expression. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data analysis indicated increased stromelysin1 expression associated with EndMT and decreased stromelysin1 expression in human pulmonary fibrosis fibroblasts. In conclusion, our study has identified that EndMT and FibroMF differentiation are reciprocally regulated by stromelysin1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahlam Alharthi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Arti Verma
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mir S Adil
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
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20
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The Regenerative Potential of Donkey and Human Milk on the Redox-Sensitive and Proliferative Signaling Pathways of Skin Fibroblasts. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2020; 2020:5618127. [PMID: 33224432 PMCID: PMC7673926 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5618127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The influence of milk bioactive peptides on skin regenerative potential and rejuvenation is very often limited because of allergic reactions. The current study is aimed at exploring the influence of donkey colostrum and mature milk, human colostrum and mature milk, and β-casein and β-casomorphine-7, on the growth and inflammatory response of the culture of cultured skin fibroblasts exposed to these conditions for twenty-four hours. Their effects on the growth-regulatory kinases and redox-sensitive, proinflammatory transcriptional factor NF-κB were detected by using specific primary antibodies against NF-κB p65, Akt-1, phospho-Akt-1, Erk-1, phospho-Erk-1, JNK, phospho-JNK, phospho-STAT-1, and CD26, while logarithmic integrated fluorescence intensity patterns were recorded by flow cytometry. The downregulation of NF-κB p65 was observed after the exposure of skin fibroblasts to donkey milk and human colostrum, while β-casein and β-casomorphine-7 exerted the opposite effect, which suggests that noncasein bioactive peptides of donkey and human milk may be responsible for anti-inflammatory properties. The exposure to all milk species examined and β-casein leads to the activation of growth-regulatory kinases (Akt1/2/3 kinase, Erk kinase, JNK kinase, and Stat-1 kinase), especially for the p-Erk pathway, which suggests that essential amino acids of casein may be responsible for Erk-induced cell cycle activation and proliferation. The opposite effect was observed when cells were exposed to β-casomorphine-7, which may affect the skin fibroblast survival and their proliferative and regenerative potential. Donkey milk did not significantly change the CD26 antigen expression. In conclusion, our results suggest that among cell signaling molecules, the most sensitive but nonspecific downstream effector is p-Erk kinase, which may point to donkey milk usefulness in wound healing, regenerative, and aesthetic dermatology. The noncasein bioactive peptides of donkey milk may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory property of donkey milk and colostrum, which may indicate the usefulness in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
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21
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Gah A, Adil MS, Sabbineni H, Verma A, Somanath PR. Differential regulation of TGFβ type-I receptor expressions in TGFβ1-induced myofibroblast differentiation. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2020; 98:841-848. [PMID: 32702244 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2020-0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast (FibroMF) differentiation is crucial for embryogenesis and organ fibrosis. Although transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is the primary mediator of FibroMF differentiation, the type-I receptor (TGFβRI) responsible for this has not yet been confirmed. In the current study, we investigated the ALK1 and ALK5 expressions in TGFβ1-stimulated NIH 3T3 fibroblasts to compare with the data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository. In our results, whereas TGFβ1 treatment promoted FibroMF differentiation accompanied by increased ALK5 expression and reduced ALK1 expression, TGFβ1-induced FibroMF differentiation and increased α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and ALK5 expression were inhibited by co-treatment with ALK5 inhibitor SB431542. GEO database analysis indicated increased ALK5 expression and reduced ALK1 expression in fibrotic compared to normal mouse or human tissues correlating with organ fibrosis progression. Finally, the inhibitors of Akt, mTOR, and β-catenin suppressed TGFβ1-induced ALK5 expression, indicating that the Akt pathway promotes FibroMF differentiation via ALK5 expression and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Gah
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Mir S Adil
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.,Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.,Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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22
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Somanath PR. Is targeting Akt a viable option to treat advanced-stage COVID-19 patients? Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2020; 319:L45-L47. [PMID: 32519895 PMCID: PMC7324934 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00124.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia.,Georgia Cancer Center, Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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23
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Du Y, Xiao H, Wan J, Wang X, Li T, Zheng S, Feng J, Ye Q, Li J, Li G, Fan Z. Atorvastatin attenuates TGF‑β1‑induced fibrogenesis by inhibiting Smad3 and MAPK signaling in human ventricular fibroblasts. Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:633-640. [PMID: 32468059 PMCID: PMC7307817 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive proliferation and myofibroblasts transformation of cardiac fibroblasts play a critical role in the process of cardiac fibrosis. Atorvastatin (ATV), a 3‑hydroxy‑3‑methyl‑glutaryl‑coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, is commonly used to treat hypercholesterolemia. It has previously been shown that ATV has potential anti‑fibrotic effects. However, the underlying mechanisms of ATV against cardiac fibrosis remain to be fully elucidated, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports focusing on the effects of ATV on transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1)‑induced human ventricular fibroblasts (hVFs) activation. In the present study, hVFs were stimulated with TGF‑β1 with or without pretreatment with ATV. Subsequently, hVF proliferation, cytotoxicity, myofibroblast differentiation and pro‑fibrotic gene expression were assessed. Canonical and non‑canonical signaling downstream of TGF‑β1, such as Smad3 and mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, were investigated by evaluating the phosphorylation levels of Smad3, extracellular signal‑regulated kinase 1/2, p38 MAPK and c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase. The results indicated that ATV significantly prevented TGF‑β1‑induced cell proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation and production of extracellular matrix proteins, such as matrix metalloproteinase‑2, collagen I and collagen III, in hVFs. Furthermore, ATV effectively inhibited TGF‑β1‑induced activation of Smad3 and MAPK signaling in hVFs. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that ATV prevented TGF‑β1‑induced fibrogenesis in hVFs, at least in part by inhibiting the Smad3 and MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, these results imply that ATV may be a promising agent to treat myocardial fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Du
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Haiying Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Tao Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Shuzhan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Jian Feng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Jiafu Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Guang Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Zhongcai Fan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
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24
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Artham S, Verma A, Alwhaibi A, Adil MS, Manicassamy S, Munn DH, Somanath PR. Delayed Akt suppression in the lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury promotes resolution that is associated with enhanced effector regulatory T cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2020; 318:L750-L761. [PMID: 32073894 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00251.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive immune response could play a major role in the resolution of lung injury. Although regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated in promoting the resolution of lung injury, therapeutic strategies to enhance Treg quantity and activity at the site of injury need further exploration. In the current study, Akt inhibition using triciribine (TCBN), given 48 h after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration, increased Tregs-promoted resolution of acute lung injury (ALI). TCBN treatment enhanced the resolution of LPS-induced ALI on day 7 by reducing pulmonary edema and neutrophil activity associated with an increased number of CD4+/FoxP3+/CD103+ and CTLA4+ effector Tregs, specifically in the injured lungs and not in the spleen. Treatment of EL-4 T-lymphocytes with two Akt inhibitors (TCBN and MK-2206) for 72 h resulted in increased FoxP3 expression in vitro. On the other end, Treg-specific PTEN knockout (PTENTreg KO) mice that have a higher Akt activity in its Tregs exhibited a significant impairment in ALI resolution, increased edema, and neutrophil activity associated with a reduced number of CD4+/FoxP3+/CD103+ and CTLA4+ effector Tregs as compared with the control group. In conclusion, our study identifies a potential target for the treatment of late-stage ALI by promoting resolution through effector Treg-mediated suppression of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Artham
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Abdulrahman Alwhaibi
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Mir S Adil
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | | | - David H Munn
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia.,Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia.,Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia.,Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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25
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Abd El-Rahman SS, Fayed HM. Targeting AngII/AT1R signaling pathway by perindopril inhibits ongoing liver fibrosis in rat. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2019; 13:2131-2141. [PMID: 31348596 DOI: 10.1002/term.2940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has a substantial role in liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension. Hence, targeting RAS through angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can mend hepatic fibrosis; the current study was designed to examine the potential fibrosis inhibition activity of perindopril using a rat model of liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA). Four groups of rats were used throughout this study, Group I (control group); rats received the vehicle. TAA was used for inducing liver fibrosis in rats by intraperitoneal injection of 200-mg/kg body weight twice a week for 6 weeks. Group II served as (TAA group). Rats of Groups III and IV were given perindopril at doses of 2 and 8 mg/kg 2 weeks after TAA administration and continued concomitantly with TAA till the end of the experiment. Injection of TAA resulted in a significant increase in aminotransferases' activities and bilirubin with a significant decrease in serum albumin and total protein and a significant decrease in hepatic content of GSH and SOD. Additionally, TAA injection raised the hepatic content of TGF-β1, α-SMA, TNF-α, and level of MDA. Histological and immunohistochemical data presented marked fibrosis in liver sections of TAA-administrated rats with increased collagen deposition, elevated METAVIR scoring, and increased expression of α-SMA, caspase-3, and AT1R. Oral dosing of perindopril for 4 weeks concomitant with TAA could mend the altered parameters near to normal values and abolished the ongoing fibrosis extension. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that perindopril, as ACE inhibitor, could grant a superior remedial nominee in preventing liver fibrosis progression through targeting angiotensin II formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hany M Fayed
- Pharmacology Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
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26
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Sabbineni H, Verma A, Artham S, Anderson D, Amaka O, Liu F, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin prevents EndMT in vitro and vascular remodeling in vivo resulting from endothelial Akt1 suppression. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 164:205-215. [PMID: 30991049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT), where endothelial cells acquire mesenchymal characteristics has been implicated in several cardiopulmonary, vascular and fibrotic diseases. The most commonly studied molecular mechanisms involved in EndMT include TGFβ, Notch, interleukin, and interferon-γ signaling. As of today, the contributions of Akt1, an important mediator of TGFβ signaling and a key regulator of endothelial barrier function to EndMT remains unclear. By using the ShRNA based gene silencing approach and endothelial-specific inducible Akt1 knockdown (ECKOAkt1) mice, we studied the role of Akt1 in EndMT in vitro and pathological vascular remodeling in vivo. Stable, Akt1 silenced (ShAkt1) human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) indicated increased expression of mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin and α-SMA, phosphorylation of Smad2/3, cellular stress via activation of p38 MAP Kinase and the loss of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) accompanied by a change in the morphology of HMECs in vitro and co-localization of endothelial and mesenchymal markers promoting EndMT in vivo. EndMT as a result of Akt1 loss was associated with increased expression of TGFβ2, a potent inducer of EndMT and mesenchymal transcription factors Snail1, and FoxC2. We observed that hypoxia-induced lung vascular remodeling is exacerbated in ECKOAkt1 mice, which was reversed by pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin. Thus, we provide novel insights into the role of Akt1-mediated β-catenin signaling in EndMT and pathological vascular remodeling, and present β-catenin as a potential target for therapy for various cardiopulmonary diseases involving vascular remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Sandeep Artham
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Daniel Anderson
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Oge Amaka
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Fang Liu
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Subhadra P Narayanan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center and Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States.
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27
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Kim SW, Kim HI, Thapa B, Nuwormegbe S, Lee K. Critical Role of mTORC2-Akt Signaling in TGF-β1-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation of Human Pterygium Fibroblasts. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 60:82-92. [DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-25376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sun Woong Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University, Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Hye-In Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Bikash Thapa
- Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Selikem Nuwormegbe
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University, Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Keunwook Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
- Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
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28
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Artham S, Gao F, Verma A, Alwhaibi A, Sabbineni H, Hafez S, Ergul A, Somanath PR. Endothelial stromelysin1 regulation by the forkhead box-O transcription factors is crucial in the exudative phase of acute lung injury. Pharmacol Res 2019; 141:249-263. [PMID: 30611853 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced vascular permeability is associated with inflammation and edema in alveoli during the exudative phase of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mechanisms leading to the endothelial contribution on the early exudative stage of ARDS are not precise. We hypothesized that modulation of endothelial stromelysin1 expression and activity by Akt1-forkhead box-O transcription factors 1/3a (FoxO1/3a) pathway could play a significant role in regulating pulmonary edema during the initial stages of acute lung injury (ALI). We utilized lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse ALI model in vivo and endothelial barrier resistance measurements in vitro to determine the specific role of the endothelial Akt1-FoxO1/3a-stromelysin1 pathway in ALI. LPS treatment of human pulmonary endothelial cells resulted in increased stromelysin1 and reduced tight junction claudin5 involving FoxO1/3a, associated with decreased trans-endothelial barrier resistance as determined by electric cell-substrate impedance sensing technology. In vivo, LPS-induced lung edema was significantly higher in endothelial Akt1 knockdown (EC-Akt1-/-) compared to wild-type mice, which was reversed upon treatment with FoxO inhibitor (AS1842856), stromelysin1 inhibitor (UK356618) or with shRNA-mediated FoxO1/3a depletion in the mouse lungs. Overall, our study provides the hope that targeting FoxO and styromelysin1 could be beneficial in the treatment of ALI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Artham
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Fei Gao
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Abdulrahman Alwhaibi
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Sherif Hafez
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Larkin University, Miami, FL 33169, United States
| | - Adviye Ergul
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Physiology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center and Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States.
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29
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van Caam A, Vonk M, van den Hoogen F, van Lent P, van der Kraan P. Unraveling SSc Pathophysiology; The Myofibroblast. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2452. [PMID: 30483246 PMCID: PMC6242950 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe auto-immune disease, characterized by vasculopathy and fibrosis of connective tissues. SSc has a high morbidity and mortality and unfortunately no disease modifying therapy is currently available. A key cell in the pathophysiology of SSc is the myofibroblast. Myofibroblasts are fibroblasts with contractile properties that produce a large amount of pro-fibrotic extracellular matrix molecules such as collagen type I. In this narrative review we will discuss the presence, formation, and role of myofibroblasts in SSc, and how these processes are stimulated and mediated by cells of the (innate) immune system such as mast cells and T helper 2 lymphocytes. Furthermore, current novel therapeutic approaches to target myofibroblasts will be highlighted for future perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjan van Caam
- Experimental Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Madelon Vonk
- Department of Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Peter van Lent
- Experimental Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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30
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Aoto K, Ito K, Aoki S. Complex formation between platelet-derived growth factor receptor β and transforming growth factor β receptor regulates the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Oncotarget 2018; 9:34090-34102. [PMID: 30344924 PMCID: PMC6183337 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have recently gained attention as potent targets in cancer therapy because they are a crucial component of the tumor microenvironment and promote the growth and invasion of cancer cells. CAFs differentiate from fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), epithelial cells, and other cell types in response to transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) stimulation. The drugs tranilast, imatinib, and pirfenidone reportedly inhibit the differentiation of such cells into CAFs; however, it is unclear how they regulate TGFβ signaling. Here, we differentiated MSCs into CAFs in vitro and investigated which drugs suppressed this differentiation. Based on these results, we focused on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor β (PDGFRβ) as a key molecule in the initiation of TGFβ signaling. PDGFRβ transmitted TGFβ signaling in MSCs by forming a complex with TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) independently of stimulation with its well-known ligand PDGF. Inhibitors of the differentiation of MSCs into CAFs attenuated complex formation between PDGFRβ and TGFβR. Moreover, PDGF stimulated PDGFRβ to a lesser extent in CAFs than in MSCs. This study indicates that PDGFRβ and TGFβ-TGFβR signaling cooperatively promote the differentiation of MSCs into CAFs in tumor microenvironments independently of canonical PDGF-PDGFR signaling. We propose that blockade of the interaction between PDGFRβ and TGFβR is a potential strategy to prevent TGFβ-mediated differentiation of MSCs into CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Aoto
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba-city, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Kousei Ito
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba-city, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba-city, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
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31
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Zent J, Guo LW. Signaling Mechanisms of Myofibroblastic Activation: Outside-in and Inside-Out. Cell Physiol Biochem 2018; 49:848-868. [PMID: 30184544 DOI: 10.1159/000493217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblasts are central mediators of fibrosis. Typically derived from resident fibroblasts, myofibroblasts represent a heterogeneous population of cells that are principally defined by acquired contractile function and high synthetic ability to produce extracellular matrix (ECM). Current literature sheds new light on the critical role of ECM signaling coupled with mechanotransduction in driving myofibroblastic activation. In particular, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and extra domain A containing fibronectin (EDA-FN) are thought to be the primary ECM signaling mediators that form and also induce positive feedback loops. The outside-in and inside-out signaling circuits are transmitted and integrated by TGF-β receptors and integrins at the cell membrane, ultimately perpetuating the abundance and activities of TGF-β1 and EDA-FN in the ECM. In this review, we highlight these conceptual advances in understanding myofibroblastic activation, in hope of revealing its therapeutic anti-fibrotic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Zent
- Medical Scientist Training Program, the Ohio State University, Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lian-Wang Guo
- Department of Surgery, Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Wexner Medical Center, the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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32
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Chen T, Huang JB, Dai J, Zhou Q, Raj JU, Zhou G. PAI-1 is a novel component of the miR-17~92 signaling that regulates pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell phenotypes. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2018; 315:L149-L161. [PMID: 29644896 PMCID: PMC6139661 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00137.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously reported that miR-17~92 is critically involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We also identified two novel mR-17/20a direct targets, PDZ and LIM domain protein 5 (PDLIM5) and prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2), and elucidated the signaling pathways by which PDLIM5 and PHD2 regulate functions of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). In addition, we have shown that plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is also downregulated in PASMCs that overexpress miR-17~92. However, it is unclear whether PAI-1 is a direct target of miR-17~92 and whether it plays a role in regulating the PASMC phenotype. In this study, we have identified PAI-1 as a novel target of miR-19a/b, two members of the miR-17~92 cluster. We found that the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of PAI-1 contains a miR-19a/b binding site and that miR-19a/b can target this site to suppress PAI-1 protein expression. MiR-17/20a, two other members of miR-17~92, may also indirectly suppress PAI-1 expression through PDLIM5. PAI-1 is a negative regulator of miR-17~92-mediated PASMC proliferation. Silencing of PAI-1 induces Smad2/calponin signaling in PASMCs, suggesting that PAI-1 is a negative regulator of the PASMC contractile phenotype. We also found that PAI-1 is essential for the metabolic gene expression in PASMCs. Furthermore, although there is no significant change in PAI-1 levels in PASMCs isolated from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, PAI-1 is downregulated in hypoxia/Sugen-induced hypertensive rat lungs. These results suggest that miR-17~92 regulates the PASMC contractile phenotype and proliferation coordinately and synergistically by direct and indirect targeting of PAI-1.
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MESH Headings
- 3' Untranslated Regions
- Animals
- Cell Proliferation
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Humans
- Hypertension, Pulmonary/genetics
- Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism
- Hypertension, Pulmonary/pathology
- Male
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Muscle Contraction/genetics
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/biosynthesis
- Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/genetics
- Pulmonary Artery/metabolism
- Pulmonary Artery/pathology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Signal Transduction
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianji Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jason B Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jingbo Dai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
| | - Qiyuan Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
| | - J Usha Raj
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
| | - Guofei Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois
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33
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Bolívar S, Santana R, Ayala P, Landaeta R, Boza P, Humeres C, Vivar R, Muñoz C, Pardo V, Fernandez S, Anfossi R, Diaz-Araya G. Lipopolysaccharide Activates Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Prevents Cardiac Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Differentiation. Cardiovasc Toxicol 2018; 17:458-470. [PMID: 28220374 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-017-9404-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a known ligand of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) which is expressed in cardiac fibroblasts (CF). Differentiation of CF to cardiac myofibroblasts (CMF) is induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), increasing alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. In endothelial cells, an antagonist effect between LPS-induced signaling and canonical TGF-β1 signaling was described; however, it has not been studied whether in CF and CMF the expression of α-SMA induced by TGF-β1 is antagonized by LPS and the mechanism involved. In adult rat CF and CMF, α-SMA, ERK1/2, Akt, NF-κβ, Smad3, and Smad7 protein levels were determined by western blot, TGF-β isoforms by ELISA, and α-SMA stress fibers by immunocytochemistry. CF and CMF secrete the three TGF-β isoforms, and the secretion levels of TGF-β2 was affected by LPS treatment. In CF, LPS treatment decreased the protein levels of α-SMA, and this effect was prevented by TAK-242 (TLR4 inhibitor) and LY294002 (Akt inhibitor), but not by BAY 11-7082 (NF-κβ inhibitor) and PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor). TGF-β1 increased α-SMA protein levels in CF, and LPS prevented partially this effect. In addition, in CMF α-SMA protein levels were decreased by LPS treatment, which was abolished by TAK-242. Finally, in CF LPS decreased the p-Smad3 phosphorylation and increased the Smad7 protein levels. LPS treatment prevents the CF-to-CMF differentiation and reverses the CMF phenotype induced by TGF-β1, through decreasing p-Smad3 and increasing Smad7 protein levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Bolívar
- Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Atlantic University, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Roxana Santana
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro Ayala
- Center of Medical Investigations, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodolfo Landaeta
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pía Boza
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio Humeres
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raúl Vivar
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Muñoz
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Viviana Pardo
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Samuel Fernandez
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Renatto Anfossi
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Guillermo Diaz-Araya
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, 8380492, Santiago, Chile. .,Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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34
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Scoparone attenuates angiotensin II-induced extracellular matrix remodeling in cardiac fibroblasts. J Pharmacol Sci 2018; 137:110-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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35
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Sabbineni H, Verma A, Somanath PR. Isoform-specific effects of transforming growth factor β on endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. J Cell Physiol 2018; 233:8418-8428. [PMID: 29856065 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) was first reported in the embryogenesis. Recent studies show that EndMT also occurs in the disease progression of atherosclerosis, cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, and cancer. Although transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is crucial for EndMT, it is not clear which isoform elicits a predominant effect. The current study aims to directly compare the dose-dependent effects of TGFβ1, TGFβ2, and TGFβ3 on EndMT and characterize the underlying mechanisms. In our results, all three TGFβ isoforms induced EndMT in human microvascular endothelial cells after 72 hr, as evidenced by the increased expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin as well as the decreased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Interestingly, the effect of TGFβ2 was the most pronounced. At 1 ng/ml, only TGFβ2 treatment resulted in significantly increased phosphorylation (activation) of Smad2/3 and p38-MAPK and increased expression of mesenchymal transcription factors Snail and FoxC2. Intriguingly, we observed that treatment with 1 ng/ml TGFβ1 and TGFβ3, but not TGFβ2, resulted in an increased expression of TGFβ2, thus indicating that EndMT with TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 treatments was due to the secondary effects through TGFβ2 secretion. Furthermore, silencing TGFβ2 using small interfering RNA blunted the expression of EndMT markers in TGFβ1- and TGFβ3-treated cells. Together, our results indicate that TGFβ2 is the most potent inducer of EndMT and that TGFβ1- and TGFβ3-induced EndMT necessitates a paracrine loop involving TGFβ2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harika Sabbineni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Arti Verma
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia.,Department of Medicine and Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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36
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Endothelial Akt1 loss promotes prostate cancer metastasis via β-catenin-regulated tight-junction protein turnover. Br J Cancer 2018; 118:1464-1475. [PMID: 29755115 PMCID: PMC5988746 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0110-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer research, in general, is focused on targeting tumour cells to limit tumour growth. These studies, however, do not account for the specific effects of chemotherapy on tumour endothelium, in turn, affecting metastasis. Methods We determined how endothelial deletion of Akt1 promotes prostate cancer cell invasion in vitro and metastasis to the lungs in vivo in endothelial-specific Akt1 knockdown mice. Results Here we show that metastatic human PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells invade through Akt1-deficient human lung endothelial cell (HLEC) monolayer with higher efficiency compared to control HLEC. Although the endothelial Akt1 loss in mice had no significant effect on RM1 tumour xenograft growth in vivo, it promoted metastasis to the lungs compared to the wild-type mice. Mechanistically, Akt1-deficient endothelial cells exhibited increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of phosphorylated β-catenin, and reduced expression of tight-junction proteins claudin-5, ZO-1 and ZO-2. Pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin nuclear translocation using compounds ICG001 and IWR-1 restored HLEC tight-junction integrity and inhibited prostate cancer cell transendothelial migration in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Conclusions Here we show for the first time that endothelial-specific loss of Akt1 promotes cancer metastasis in vivo involving β-catenin pathway.
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37
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Liu L, You Z, Yu H, Zhou L, Zhao H, Yan X, Li D, Wang B, Zhu L, Xu Y, Xia T, Shi Y, Huang C, Hou W, Du Y. Mechanotransduction-modulated fibrotic microniches reveal the contribution of angiogenesis in liver fibrosis. NATURE MATERIALS 2017; 16:1252-1261. [PMID: 29170554 DOI: 10.1038/nmat5024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The role of pathological angiogenesis on liver fibrogenesis is still unknown. Here, we developed fibrotic microniches (FμNs) that recapitulate the interaction of liver sinusoid endothelial cells (LSECs) and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We investigated how the mechanical properties of their substrates affect the formation of capillary-like structures and how they relate to the progression of angiogenesis during liver fibrosis. Differences in cell response in the FμNs were synonymous of the early and late stages of liver fibrosis. The stiffness of the early-stage FμNs was significantly elevated due to condensation of collagen fibrils induced by angiogenesis, and led to activation of HSCs by LSECs. We utilized these FμNs to understand the response to anti-angiogenic drugs, and it was evident that these drugs were effective only for early-stage liver fibrosis in vitro and in an in vivo mouse model of liver fibrosis. Late-stage liver fibrosis was not reversed following treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs but rather with inhibitors of collagen condensation. Our work reveals stage-specific angiogenesis-induced liver fibrogenesis via a previously unrevealed mechanotransduction mechanism which may offer precise intervention strategies targeting stage-specific disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longwei Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhifeng You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongsheng Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lyu Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dulei Li
- Institute for Immunology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bingjie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lu Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuzhou Xu
- Sequencing core facility, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tie Xia
- Institute for Immunology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Institute for Immunology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenyu Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
| | - Wei Hou
- Tianjin Second People's Hospital and Tianjin Institute of Hepatology, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Yanan Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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38
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Dolivo DM, Larson SA, Dominko T. Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 as an Antifibrotic: Antagonism of Myofibroblast Differentiation and Suppression of Pro-Fibrotic Gene Expression. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 38:49-58. [PMID: 28967471 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fibrosis is a pathological condition that is characterized by the replacement of dead or damaged tissue with a nonfunctional, mechanically aberrant scar, and fibrotic pathologies account for nearly half of all deaths worldwide. The causes of fibrosis differ somewhat from tissue to tissue and pathology to pathology, but in general some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms remain constant regardless of the specific pathology in question. One of the common mechanisms underlying fibroses is the paradigm of the activated fibroblast, termed the "myofibroblast," a differentiated mesenchymal cell with demonstrated contractile activity and a high rate of collagen deposition. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), one of the members of the mammalian fibroblast growth factor family, is a cytokine with demonstrated antifibrotic activity in non-human animal, human, and in vitro models. FGF2 is highly pleiotropic and its receptors are present on many different cell types throughout the body, lending a great deal of variety to the potential mechanisms of FGF2 effects on fibrosis. However, recent reports demonstrate that a substantial contribution to the antifibrotic effects of FGF2 comes from the inhibitory effects of FGF2 on connective tissue fibroblasts, activated myofibroblasts, and myofibroblast progenitors. FGF2 demonstrates effects antagonistic towards fibroblast activation and towards mesenchymal transition of potential myofibroblast-forming cells, as well as promotes a gene expression paradigm more reminiscent of regenerative healing, such as that which occurs in the fetal wound healing response, than fibrotic resolution. With a better understanding of the mechanisms by which FGF2 alters the wound healing cascade and results in a shift away from scar formation and towards functional tissue regeneration, we may be able to further address the critical need of therapy for varied fibrotic pathologies across myriad tissue types.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Dolivo
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology,100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, 01609, United States
| | - Sara A Larson
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology,100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, 01609, United States
| | - Tanja Dominko
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology,100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, 01609, United States.
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39
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Gillespie SR, Tedesco LJ, Wang L, Bernstein AM. The deubiquitylase USP10 regulates integrin β1 and β5 and fibrotic wound healing. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:3481-3495. [PMID: 28851806 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.204628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Scarring and fibrotic disease result from the persistence of myofibroblasts characterized by high surface expression of αv integrins and subsequent activation of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) proteins; however, the mechanism controlling their surface abundance is unknown. Genetic screening revealed that human primary stromal corneal myofibroblasts overexpress a subset of deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), which remove ubiquitin from proteins, preventing degradation. Silencing of the DUB USP10 induces a buildup of ubiquitin on integrins β1 and β5 in cell lysates, whereas recombinant USP10 removes ubiquitin from these integrin subunits. Correspondingly, the loss and gain of USP10 decreases and increases, respectively, αv/β1/β5 protein levels, without altering gene expression. Consequently, endogenous TGFβ is activated and the fibrotic markers alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and cellular fibronectin (FN-EDA) are induced. Blocking either TGFβ signaling or cell-surface αv integrins after USP10 overexpression prevents or reduces fibrotic marker expression. Finally, silencing of USP10 in an ex vivo cornea organ culture model prevents the induction of fibrotic markers and promotes regenerative healing. This novel mechanism puts DUB expression at the head of a cascade regulating integrin abundance and suggests USP10 as a novel antifibrotic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie R Gillespie
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Liana J Tedesco
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lingyan Wang
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Audrey M Bernstein
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, New York, NY 10029, USA
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40
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Miranda MZ, Bialik JF, Speight P, Dan Q, Yeung T, Szászi K, Pedersen SF, Kapus A. TGF-β1 regulates the expression and transcriptional activity of TAZ protein via a Smad3-independent, myocardin-related transcription factor-mediated mechanism. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:14902-14920. [PMID: 28739802 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.780502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippo pathway transcriptional coactivators TAZ and YAP and the TGF-β1 (TGFβ) effector Smad3 regulate a common set of genes, can physically interact, and exhibit multilevel cross-talk regulating cell fate-determining and fibrogenic pathways. However, a key aspect of this cross-talk, TGFβ-mediated regulation of TAZ or YAP expression, remains uncharacterized. Here, we show that TGFβ induces robust TAZ but not YAP protein expression in both mesenchymal and epithelial cells. TAZ levels, and to a lesser extent YAP levels, also increased during experimental kidney fibrosis. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of Smad3 did not prevent the TGFβ-induced TAZ up-regulation, indicating that this canonical pathway is dispensable. In contrast, inhibition of p38 MAPK, its downstream effector MK2 (e.g. by the clinically approved antifibrotic pirferidone), or Akt suppressed the TGFβ-induced TAZ expression. Moreover, TGFβ elevated TAZ mRNA in a p38-dependent manner. Myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) was a central mediator of this effect, as MRTF silencing/inhibition abolished the TGFβ-induced TAZ expression. MRTF overexpression drove the TAZ promoter in a CC(A/T-rich)6GG (CArG) box-dependent manner and induced TAZ protein expression. TGFβ did not act by promoting nuclear MRTF translocation; instead, it triggered p38- and MK2-mediated, Nox4-promoted MRTF phosphorylation and activation. Functionally, higher TAZ levels increased TAZ/TEAD-dependent transcription and primed cells for enhanced TAZ activity upon a second stimulus (i.e. sphingosine 1-phosphate) that induced nuclear TAZ translocation. In conclusion, our results uncover an important aspect of the cross-talk between TGFβ and Hippo signaling, showing that TGFβ induces TAZ via a Smad3-independent, p38- and MRTF-mediated and yet MRTF translocation-independent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Zena Miranda
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital.,Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8N, Canada and
| | - Janne Folke Bialik
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital.,the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Pam Speight
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital
| | - Qinghong Dan
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital
| | - Tony Yeung
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital
| | - Katalin Szászi
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital.,Departments of Surgery and
| | - Stine F Pedersen
- the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - András Kapus
- From the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital, .,Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8N, Canada and.,Departments of Surgery and
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Hermida MA, Dinesh Kumar J, Leslie NR. GSK3 and its interactions with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling network. Adv Biol Regul 2017; 65:5-15. [PMID: 28712664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK3 or GSK-3) is a promiscuous protein kinase and its phosphorylation of its diverse substrates has major influences on many areas of physiology and pathology, including cellular metabolism, lineage commitment and neuroscience. GSK3 was one of the first identified substrates of the heavily studied oncogenic kinase AKT, phosphorylation by which inhibits GSK3 activity via the formation of an autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate sequence. This has led to investigation of the role of GSK3 inhibition as a key component of the cellular responses to growth factors and insulin, which stimulate the class I PI 3-Kinases and in turn AKT activity and GSK3 phosphorylation. GSK3 has been shown to phosphorylate several upstream and downstream components of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling network, including AKT itself, RICTOR, TSC1 and 2, PTEN and IRS1 and 2, with the potential to apply feedback control within the network. However, it has been clear for some time that functionally distinct, insulated pools of GSK3 exist which are regulated independently, so that for some GSK3 substrates such as β-catenin, phosphorylation by GSK3 is not controlled by input from PI3K and AKT. Instead, as almost all GSK3 substrates require a priming phosphorylated residue to be 4 amino acids C-terminal to the Ser/Thr phosphorylated by GSK3, the predominant form of regulation of the activity of GSK3 often appears to be through control over these priming events, specific to individual substrates. Therefore, a major role of GSK3 can be viewed as an amplifier of the electrostatic effects on protein function which are caused by these priming phosphorylation events. Here we discuss these different aspects to GSK3 regulation and function, and the functions of GSK3 as it integrates with signalling through the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Hermida
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - J Dinesh Kumar
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Nick R Leslie
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK.
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Gao F, Alwhaibi A, Sabbineni H, Verma A, Eldahshan W, Somanath PR. Suppression of Akt1-β-catenin pathway in advanced prostate cancer promotes TGFβ1-mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis. Cancer Lett 2017; 402:177-189. [PMID: 28602980 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Akt1 is essential for the oncogenic transformation and tumor growth in various cancers. However, the precise role of Akt1 in advanced cancers is conflicting. Using a neuroendocrine TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model, we first show that the genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of Akt1 in mice blunts oncogenic transformation and prostate cancer (PCa) growth. Intriguingly, triciribine (TCBN)-mediated Akt inhibition in 25-week old, tumor-bearing TRAMP mice and Akt1 gene silencing in aggressive PCa cells enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promoted metastasis to the lungs. Mechanistically, Akt1 suppression leads to increased expression of EMT markers such as Snail1 and N-cadherin and decreased expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin in TRAMP prostate, and in PC3 and DU145 cells. Next, we identified that Akt1 knockdown in PCa cells results in increased production of TGFβ1 and its receptor TGFβ RII, associated with a decreased expression of β-catenin. Furthermore, treatment of PCa cells with ICG001 that blocks nuclear translocation of β-catenin promoted EMT and N-cadherin expression. Together, our study demonstrates a novel role of the Akt1-β-catenin-TGFβ1 pathway in advanced PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gao
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Abdulrahman Alwhaibi
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Arti Verma
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Wael Eldahshan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center and Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
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43
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Gao F, Artham S, Sabbineni H, Al-Azayzih A, Peng XD, Hay N, Adams RH, Byzova TV, Somanath PR. Akt1 promotes stimuli-induced endothelial-barrier protection through FoxO-mediated tight-junction protein turnover. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3917-33. [PMID: 27113546 PMCID: PMC5023469 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2232-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vascular permeability regulated by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) through endothelial-barrier junctions is essential for inflammation. Mechanisms regulating vascular permeability remain elusive. Although 'Akt' and 'Src' have been implicated in the endothelial-barrier regulation, it is puzzling how both agents that protect and disrupt the endothelial-barrier activate these kinases to reciprocally regulate vascular permeability. To delineate the role of Akt1 in endothelial-barrier regulation, we created endothelial-specific, tamoxifen-inducible Akt1 knockout mice and stable ShRNA-mediated Akt1 knockdown in human microvascular endothelial cells. Akt1 loss leads to decreased basal and angiopoietin1-induced endothelial-barrier resistance, and enhanced VEGF-induced endothelial-barrier breakdown. Endothelial Akt1 deficiency resulted in enhanced VEGF-induced vascular leakage in mice ears, which was rescued upon re-expression with Adeno-myrAkt1. Furthermore, co-treatment with angiopoietin1 reversed VEGF-induced vascular leakage in an Akt1-dependent manner. Mechanistically, our study revealed that while VEGF-induced short-term vascular permeability is independent of Akt1, its recovery is reliant on Akt1 and FoxO-mediated claudin expression. Pharmacological inhibition of FoxO transcription factors rescued the defective endothelial barrier due to Akt1 deficiency. Here we provide novel insights on the endothelial-barrier protective role of VEGF in the long term and the importance of Akt1-FoxO signaling on tight-junction stabilization and prevention of vascular leakage through claudin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gao
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sandeep Artham
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Ahmad Al-Azayzih
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Xiao-Ding Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nissim Hay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ralf H Adams
- Max Plank Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, Münster, Germany
| | - Tatiana V Byzova
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Joseph J. Jacob's Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA.
- Department of Medicine and Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, HM1200, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
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Discrete functions of GSK3α and GSK3β isoforms in prostate tumor growth and micrometastasis. Oncotarget 2016; 6:5947-62. [PMID: 25714023 PMCID: PMC4467413 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Isoform specific function of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) in cancer is not well defined. We report that silencing of GSK3α, but not GSK3β expression inhibited proliferation, survival and colony formation by the PC3, DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells, and the growth of PC3 tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice. Silencing of GSK3α, but not GSK3β resulted in reduced proliferation and enhanced apoptosis in tumor xenografts. ShRNA-mediated knockdown of GSK3α and GSK3β equally inhibited the ability of prostate cancer cells to migrate and invade the endothelial-barrier in vitro, and PC3 cell micrometastasis to lungs in vivo. Mechanistically, whereas silencing GSK3α resulted in increased expression of pro-apoptotic markers cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 in LNCaP, PC3 and DU145 cells, silencing GSK3β resulted in the inhibition of cell scattering, establishment of cell-cell contacts, increased expression and membrane localization of β-catenin, and reduced expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers such as Snail and MMP-9. This indicated the specific role of GSK3β in EMT, acquisition of motility and invasive potential. Overall, our data demonstrated the isoform specific role of GSK3α and GSK3β in prostate cancer cells in vitro, and tumor growth and micrometastasis in vivo, via distinct molecular and cellular mechanisms.
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45
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Abdalla M, Thompson L, Gurley E, Burke S, Ujjin J, Newsome R, Somanath PR. Dasatinib inhibits TGFβ-induced myofibroblast differentiation through Src-SRF Pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 769:134-42. [PMID: 26548624 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Persistent myofibroblast differentiation is a hallmark of fibrotic diseases. Myofibroblasts are characterized by de novo expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and excess fibronectin assembly. Recent studies provide conflicting reports on the effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib on myofibroblast differentiation and fibrosis. Also, it is not fully understood whether dasatinib modulates myofibroblast differentiation by targeting Src kinase. Herein, we investigated the effect of dasatinib on cSrc and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ)-induced myofibroblast differentiation in vitro. Our results indicated that selective Src kinase inhibition using PP2 mimicked the effect of dasatinib in attenuating myofibroblast differentiation as evident by blunted αSMA expression and modest, but significant inhibition of fibronectin assembly in both NIH 3T3 and fibrotic human lung fibroblasts. Mechanistically, our data showed that dasatinib modulates αSMA synthesis through Src kinase-mediated modulation of serum response factor expression. Collectively, our results demonstrate that dasatinib modulates myofibroblast differentiation through Src-SRF pathway. Thus, dasatinib could potentially be a therapeutic option in fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Abdalla
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South College School of Pharmacy, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - LeeAnn Thompson
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Erin Gurley
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Samantha Burke
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Jessica Ujjin
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Robert Newsome
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, United States; Department of Medicine and Vascular Biology Center, Augusta, GA, United States; Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, United States.
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46
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Xie C, Zhang Y, Tran TDN, Wang H, Li S, George EV, Zhuang H, Zhang P, Kandel A, Lai Y, Tang D, Reeves WH, Cheng H, Ding Y, Yang LJ. Irisin Controls Growth, Intracellular Ca2+ Signals, and Mitochondrial Thermogenesis in Cardiomyoblasts. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136816. [PMID: 26305684 PMCID: PMC4549318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Exercise offers short-term and long-term health benefits, including an increased metabolic rate and energy expenditure in myocardium. The newly-discovered exercise-induced myokine, irisin, stimulates conversion of white into brown adipocytes as well as increased mitochondrial biogenesis and energy expenditure. Remarkably, irisin is highly expressed in myocardium, but its physiological effects in the heart are unknown. The objective of this work is to investigate irisin’s potential multifaceted effects on cardiomyoblasts and myocardium. For this purpose, H9C2 cells were treated with recombinant irisin produced in yeast cells (r-irisin) and in HEK293 cells (hr-irisin) for examining its effects on cell proliferation by MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay and on gene transcription profiles by qRT-PCR. R-irisin and hr-irisin both inhibited cell proliferation and activated genes related to cardiomyocyte metabolic function and differentiation, including myocardin, follistatin, smooth muscle actin, and nuclear respiratory factor-1. Signal transduction pathways affected by r-irisin in H9C2 cells and C57BL/6 mice were examined by detecting phosphorylation of PI3K-AKT, p38, ERK or STAT3. We also measured intracellular Ca2+ signaling and mitochondrial thermogenesis and energy expenditure in r-irisin-treated H9C2 cells. The results showed that r-irisin, in a certain concentration rage, could activate PI3K-AKT and intracellular Ca2+ signaling and increase cellular oxygen consumption in H9C2 cells. Our study also suggests the existence of irisin-specific receptor on the membrane of H9C2 cells. In conclusion, irisin in a certain concentration rage increased myocardial cell metabolism, inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell differentiation. These effects might be mediated through PI3K-AKT and Ca2+ signaling, which are known to activate expression of exercise-related genes such as follistatin and myocardin. This work supports the value of exercise, which promotes irisin release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Xie
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
- Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, P. R. China
| | - Tran D. N. Tran
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, United States of America
| | - Hai Wang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Shiwu Li
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Eva Vertes George
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Haoyang Zhuang
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Peilan Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Avi Kandel
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Yimu Lai
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, United States of America
| | - Dongqi Tang
- Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, P. R. China
| | - Westley H. Reeves
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Henrique Cheng
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, United States of America
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
- * E-mail: (L-JY); (YD)
| | - Li-Jun Yang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
- * E-mail: (L-JY); (YD)
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Abdalla M, Sabbineni H, Prakash R, Ergul A, Fagan SC, Somanath PR. The Akt inhibitor, triciribine, ameliorates chronic hypoxia-induced vascular pruning and TGFβ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 172:4173-88. [PMID: 26033700 PMCID: PMC4543621 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Interstitial lung disease accounts for a group of chronic and progressive disorders associated with severe pulmonary vascular remodelling, peripheral vascular rarefaction and fibrosis, thus limiting lung function. We have previously shown that Akt is necessary for myofibroblast differentiation, a critical event in organ fibrosis. However, the contributory role of the Akt-mTOR pathway in interstitial lung disease and the therapeutic benefits of targeting Akt and mTOR remain unclear. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We investigated the role of the Akt-mTOR pathway and its downstream molecular mechanisms in chronic hypoxia- and TGFβ-induced pulmonary vascular pruning and fibrosis in mice. We also determined the therapeutic benefits of the Akt inhibitor triciribine and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. KEY RESULTS Akt1(-) (/) (-) mice were protected from chronic hypoxia-induced peripheral vascular pruning. In contrast, hyperactivation of Akt1 induced focal fibrosis similar to TGFβ-induced fibrosis. Pharmacological inhibition of Akt, but not the Akt substrate mTOR, inhibited hypoxia- and TGFβ-induced pulmonary vascular rarefaction and fibrosis. Mechanistically, we found that Akt1 modulates pulmonary remodelling via regulation of thrombospondin1 (TSP1) expression. Hypoxic Akt1(-) (/) (-) mice lungs expressed less TSP1. Moreover, TSP1(-) (/) (-) mice were resistant to adMyrAkt1-induced pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our study identified Akt1 as a novel target for the treatment of interstitial lung disease and provides preclinical data on the potential benefits of the Akt inhibitor triciribine for the treatment of interstitial lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Abdalla
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South College School of PharmacyKnoxville, TN, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
| | - Roshini Prakash
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
| | - Adviye Ergul
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
- Department of Physiology, Georgia Regents UniversityAugusta, GA, USA
| | - Susan C Fagan
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Georgia Regents UniversityAugusta, GA, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical CenterAugusta, GA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Georgia Regents UniversityAugusta, GA, USA
- Vascular Biology Center, Georgia Regents UniversityAugusta, GA, USA
- Cancer Center, Georgia Regents UniversityAugusta, GA, USA
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48
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Goc A, Sabbineni H, Abdalla M, Somanath PR. p70 S6-kinase mediates the cooperation between Akt1 and Mek1 pathways in fibroblast-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2015; 1853:1626-35. [PMID: 25843685 PMCID: PMC4428983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated both synergistic and opposing effects of Akt and Mek1/2 in various cell functions and disease states. Furthermore, Akt has been reported to inhibit and activate cRaf/Mek pathway, suggesting that their mutual interaction and cooperation may be cell type, stimuli and/or context specific. While PI3-kinase/Akt and cRaf/Mek pathways have been implicated in the regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, mutual interactions between these two pathways and their specific contributions to the events leading to ECM synthesis and assembly is not clear. We investigated the specific role of Akt1 and Mek1 in ECM synthesis and assembly by NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and how these effects were reconciled to mediate overall ECM remodeling. Our study identified that cooperation between Akt1 and Mek1 is necessary to mediate ECM synthesis. Whereas Akt1 activation resulted in Mek1 activation as evidenced by increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation, Mek1 inhibition using U0126 or DN-Mek1 resulted in enhanced Akt1 phosphorylation. Interestingly, both Akt1 and Mek1 activities were needed for the synthesis and assembly of ECM. The effect of Akt1 and Mek1 on ECM synthesis was reconciled through the activation of p70 S6-kinase via phosphorylation at T421/S424 and S411, respectively. Furthermore, Akt1 and Mek1 cooperated in mediating ECM assembly via activation of integrin β1. Together, we show for the first time that Akt1 and Mek1 pathways cooperate in the regulation of ECM remodeling by the fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Goc
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Harika Sabbineni
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Maha Abdalla
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA; Department of Medicine and Vascular Biology Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
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49
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Ma L, Kerr BA, Prasad SVN, Byzova TV, Somanath PR. Differential effects of Akt1 signaling on short- versus long-term consequences of myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury. J Transl Med 2014; 94:1083-91. [PMID: 25046438 PMCID: PMC4447480 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A specific role for Akt1 in events following myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is not known. We aimed to determine whether Akt1 deletion in in vivo mouse models of MI and after ischemia I/R injury would alter myocyte survival, cardiac function, and fibrosis. Akt1(+/+) and Akt1(-/-) mice were subjected to MI and I/R, followed by assessment of downstream signaling events and functional consequences. Although no difference in infarct size following short-term MI was observed between Akt1(+/+) and Akt1(-/-) mice, I/R caused substantially more cardiomyocyte apoptosis and tissue damage in Akt1(-/-) mice compared with Akt1(+/+). Importantly, these effects were reversed upon pretreatment with GSK-3 inhibitor SB415286. Counterintuitively, Akt1(-/-) hearts exhibited improved cardiac function following long-term MI compared with Akt1(+/+) and were associated with reduced fibrosis in the left ventricle (LV). Our results demonstrate that Akt1-mediated inhibition of GSK-3 activity is critical for cardioprotection following I/R. However, in the long term, Akt1 contributes to fibrosis in post-MI hearts and might exacerbate cardiac dysfunction showing dichotomous role for Akt1 in cardiac remodeling after MI. Our data suggest that better understanding of the Akt1/GSK-3 pathway may provide insights for better therapeutic strategies in post-MI tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lining Ma
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Joseph J. Jacobs Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA,Cardiovascular Department, Hainan Provincial People’s Hospital, Hainan, China
| | - Bethany A Kerr
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Joseph J. Jacobs Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sathyamangla V Naga Prasad
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Joseph J. Jacobs Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tatiana V Byzova
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Joseph J. Jacobs Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical center, Augusta, GA, USA,Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center and Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA
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50
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Kendall RT, Feghali-Bostwick CA. Fibroblasts in fibrosis: novel roles and mediators. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:123. [PMID: 24904424 PMCID: PMC4034148 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 674] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblasts are the most common cell type of the connective tissues found throughout the body and the principal source of the extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) characteristic of these tissues. They are also the central mediators of the pathological fibrotic accumulation of ECM and the cellular proliferation and differentiation that occurs in response to prolonged tissue injury and chronic inflammation. The transformation of the fibroblast cell lineage involves classical developmental signaling programs and includes a surprisingly diverse range of precursor cell types—most notably, myofibroblasts that are the apex of the fibrotic phenotype. Myofibroblasts display exaggerated ECM production; constitutively secrete and are hypersensitive to chemical signals such as cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors; and are endowed with a contractile apparatus allowing them to manipulate the ECM fibers physically to close open wounds. In addition to ECM production, fibroblasts have multiple concomitant biological roles, such as in wound healing, inflammation, and angiogenesis, which are each interwoven with the process of fibrosis. We now recognize many common fibroblast-related features across various physiological and pathological protracted processes. Indeed, a new appreciation has emerged for the role of non-cancerous fibroblast interactions with tumors in cancer progression. Although the predominant current clinical treatments of fibrosis involve non-specific immunosuppressive and anti-proliferative drugs, a variety of potential therapies under investigation specifically target fibroblast biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Kendall
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Carol A Feghali-Bostwick
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA
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