Zhou T, Lin L, Zhan Y, Zhang Z, Jiang Y, Wu M, Xue D, Chen L, Weng X, Huang Z. Bortezomib restrains M2 polarization and reduces CXCL16-associated CXCR6
+CD4 T cell chemotaxis in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Mol Med 2024;
30:70. [PMID:
38789926 PMCID:
PMC11127379 DOI:
10.1186/s10020-024-00836-5]
[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: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The development of pulmonary fibrosis involves a cascade of events, in which inflammation mediated by immune cells plays a pivotal role. Chemotherapeutic drugs have been shown to have dual effects on fibrosis, with bleomycin exacerbating pulmonary fibrosis and bortezomib alleviating tissue fibrotic processes. Understanding the intricate interplay between chemotherapeutic drugs, immune responses, and pulmonary fibrosis is likely to serve as the foundation for crafting tailored therapeutic strategies.
METHODS
A model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis was established, followed by treatment with bortezomib. Tissue samples were collected for analysis of immune cell subsets and functional assessment by flow cytometry and in vitro cell experiments. Additionally, multi-omics analysis was conducted to further elucidate the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors, as well as the characteristics of cell populations.
RESULTS
Here, we observed that the expression of CXCL16 and CXCR6 was elevated in the lung tissue of a pulmonary fibrosis model. In the context of pulmonary fibrosis or TGF-β1 stimulation in vitro, macrophages exhibited an M2-polarized phenotype and secreted more CXCL16 than those of the control group. Moreover, flow cytometry revealed increased expression levels of CD69 and CXCR6 in pulmonary CD4 T cells during fibrosis progression. The administration of bortezomib alleviated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, accompanied by reduced ratio of M2-polarized macrophages and decreased accumulation of CD4 T cells expressing CXCR6.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide insights into the key immune players involved in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and offer preclinical evidence supporting the repurposing strategy and combination approaches to reduce lung fibrosis.
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