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Southern BD, Li H, Mao H, Crish JF, Grove LM, Scheraga RG, Mansoor S, Reinhardt A, Abraham S, Deshpande G, Loui A, Ivanov AI, Rosenfeld SS, Bresnick AR, Olman MA. A novel mechanoeffector role of fibroblast S100A4 in myofibroblast transdifferentiation and fibrosis. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105530. [PMID: 38072048 PMCID: PMC10789633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105530] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast to myofibroblast transdifferentiation mediates numerous fibrotic disorders, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We have previously demonstrated that non-muscle myosin II (NMII) is activated in response to fibrotic lung extracellular matrix, thereby mediating myofibroblast transdifferentiation. NMII-A is known to interact with the calcium-binding protein S100A4, but the mechanism by which S100A4 regulates fibrotic disorders is unclear. In this study, we show that fibroblast S100A4 is a calcium-dependent, mechanoeffector protein that is uniquely sensitive to pathophysiologic-range lung stiffness (8-25 kPa) and thereby mediates myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Re-expression of endogenous fibroblast S100A4 rescues the myofibroblastic phenotype in S100A4 KO fibroblasts. Analysis of NMII-A/actin dynamics reveals that S100A4 mediates the unraveling and redistribution of peripheral actomyosin to a central location, resulting in a contractile myofibroblast. Furthermore, S100A4 loss protects against murine in vivo pulmonary fibrosis, and S100A4 expression is dysregulated in IPF. Our data reveal a novel mechanosensor/effector role for endogenous fibroblast S100A4 in inducing cytoskeletal redistribution in fibrotic disorders such as IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Southern
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Haiyan Li
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Hongxia Mao
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - James F Crish
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa M Grove
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Rachel G Scheraga
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Sanaa Mansoor
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amanda Reinhardt
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Susamma Abraham
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Gauravi Deshpande
- Lerner Research Institute Imaging Core, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alicia Loui
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrei I Ivanov
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Steven S Rosenfeld
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Anne R Bresnick
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Mitchell A Olman
- Lerner Research Institute Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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Lu HY, Wang MY, Zhu SX, Ju HM, Xu SQ, Qiao Y, Wei SJ, Su ZL. ILC2 influence the differentiation of alveolar type II epithelial cells in bronchopulmonary dysplasia mice. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 114:604-614. [PMID: 37647586 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad092] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a common complication of premature infants, is mainly characterized by blocked alveolarization. Proverbially, the injury of alveolar type II epithelial cells is regarded as the pathologic basis of occurrence and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In the case of alveolar epithelial damage, alveolar type II epithelial cells can also differentiate to alveolar type I epithelial cells as progenitor cells. During bronchopulmonary dysplasia, the differentiation of alveolar type II epithelial cells becomes abnormal. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells can produce type 2 cytokines in response to a variety of stimuli, including the epithelial cytokines IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin. Previous studies have shown that group 2 innate lymphoid cells can inhibit the alveolarization process of bronchopulmonary dysplasia by secreting IL-13. However, whether group 2 innate lymphoid cells can affect the differentiation of alveolar type II epithelial cells in the pathologic process of bronchopulmonary dysplasia remains unclear. In this study, we have shown that IL-13 secreted by group 2 innate lymphoid cells increased during bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which was related to the release of large amounts of IL-33 by impaired alveolar type II epithelial cells. This led to abnormal differentiation of alveolar type II epithelial cells, reduced differentiation to alveolar type I epithelial cells, and increased transdifferentiation to mesenchymal cells through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Taken together, our study provides a complementary understanding of the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and highlights a novel immune mechanism in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Ming-Yan Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Shao-Xuan Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Hui-Min Ju
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Su-Qing Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Yu Qiao
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Shan-Jie Wei
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
| | - Zhao-Liang Su
- International Genome Center, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Institute for medical Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 438 Jiefang Road, Zhenjiang 212001, China
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3
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Li CH, Hsu TI, Chang YC, Chan MH, Lu PJ, Hsiao M. Stationed or Relocating: The Seesawing EMT/MET Determinants from Embryonic Development to Cancer Metastasis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091265. [PMID: 34572451 PMCID: PMC8472300 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial and mesenchymal transition mechanisms continue to occur during the cell cycle and throughout human development from the embryo stage to death. In embryo development, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can be divided into three essential steps. First, endoderm, mesoderm, and neural crest cells form, then the cells are subdivided, and finally, cardiac valve formation occurs. After the embryonic period, the human body will be subjected to ongoing mechanical stress or injury. The formation of a wound requires EMT to recruit fibroblasts to generate granulation tissues, repair the wound and re-create an intact skin barrier. However, once cells transform into a malignant tumor, the tumor cells acquire the characteristic of immortality. Local cell growth with no growth inhibition creates a solid tumor. If the tumor cannot obtain enough nutrition in situ, the tumor cells will undergo EMT and invade the basal membrane of nearby blood vessels. The tumor cells are transported through the bloodstream to secondary sites and then begin to form colonies and undergo reverse EMT, the so-called "mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)." This dynamic change involves cell morphology, environmental conditions, and external stimuli. Therefore, in this manuscript, the similarities and differences between EMT and MET will be dissected from embryonic development to the stage of cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsiu Li
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Tai-I Hsu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Yu-Chan Chang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
| | - Ming-Hsien Chan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Pei-Jung Lu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Clinical Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-J.L.); (M.H.)
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-J.L.); (M.H.)
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4
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Nanodiamonds inhibit scratch-wound repair in lung epithelial cell monolayers by blocking cell migration and inhibiting cell proliferation. Toxicol Lett 2021; 341:83-93. [PMID: 33508333 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.01.018] [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] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Proliferation and migration of lung epithelial cells following the injury to the epithelial lining of alveoli and airways in the lung are pivotal for remodeling and repair of the wound to restore normal lung function. In the present study, we examined the modulatory effect of carboxylated nanodiamonds (cNDs) on the cell division, migration, and adhesion of epithelial cells in the well-established in vitro model of wound repair and cell migration. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy results indicated that both LA4 and A549 cells effectively internalized fluorescent carboxylated nanodiamonds (cFNDs) and the internalized nanodiamonds were essentially localized in the cytoplasmic region. Treatment with cNDs blocked the division and migration of cells to fill the scratch wound. Live cell imaging and time-lapse videography of the wound healing process indicated a significant inhibition of cell proliferation activity in cND-treated cells and blocked the wound repair process. Trans-well cell-migration assay results further support the inhibitory effect of cNDs on the cell migration process. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining indicated that the crucial proteins involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration i.e. β-catenin, Vimentin, NM-myosin, and Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) were downregulated after treatment with cNDs, while the expression of E-cadherin and Claudin-1, major cell adhesion markers remained unaltered. Taken together, our results indicate that the decline in cell proliferation activity, downregulation in the expression of various crucial protein like β-Catenin, NM-myosin, FAK, and Vimentin involved in the cell migration and unaltered expression of cell adhesion molecules E-cadherin and Claudin-1, may be the factors that contribute to the cND-mediated inhibition of EMT during the wound repair process in the monolayers of lung epithelial cells.
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5
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Saito M, Mitani A, Ishimori T, Miyashita N, Isago H, Mikami Y, Noguchi S, Tarui M, Nagase T. Active mTOR in Lung Epithelium Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Enhances Lung Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 62:699-708. [PMID: 32208980 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0255oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The mTOR pathway is one of the key signal cascades in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Previous studies have mainly focused on this pathway in the fibroblasts and/or myofibroblasts, but not in the epithelial cells. In this study, we sought to investigate the role of the mTOR pathway in lung epithelial cells in lung fibrosis. Using Sftpc-mTORSL1+IT transgenic mice, in which active mTOR is conditionally expressed in lung epithelial cells, we assessed the effects of chronically activated mTOR in lung epithelial cells on lung phenotypes as well as bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Furthermore, we isolated alveolar epithelial cell type 2 from mice and performed RNA sequencing. Sftpc-mTORSL1+IT transgenic mice had no obvious abnormal findings, but, after bleomycin administration, showed more severe fibrotic changes and lower lung compliance than control mice. RNA sequencing revealed Angptl4 (angiopoietin-like protein 4) as a candidate downstream gene of the mTOR pathway. In vitro studies revealed that ANGPTL4, as well as mTOR, promoted tight junction vulnerability and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. mTOR activation in lung epithelial cells promoted lung fibrosis and the expression of ANGPTL4, a novel downstream target of the mTOR pathway, which could be related to the etiology of fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minako Saito
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihisa Mitani
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taro Ishimori
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoya Miyashita
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Isago
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yu Mikami
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Noguchi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Megumi Tarui
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahide Nagase
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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6
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Szulcek R, Sanchez-Duffhues G, Rol N, Pan X, Tsonaka R, Dickhoff C, Yung LM, Manz XD, Kurakula K, Kiełbasa SM, Mei H, Timens W, Yu PB, Bogaard HJ, Goumans MJ. Exacerbated inflammatory signaling underlies aberrant response to BMP9 in pulmonary arterial hypertension lung endothelial cells. Angiogenesis 2020; 23:699-714. [PMID: 32813135 PMCID: PMC7524846 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-020-09741-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Imbalanced transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling are postulated to favor a pathological pulmonary endothelial cell (EC) phenotype in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). BMP9 is shown to reinstate BMP receptor type-II (BMPR2) levels and thereby mitigate hemodynamic and vascular abnormalities in several animal models of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Yet, responses of the pulmonary endothelium of PAH patients to BMP9 are unknown. Therefore, we treated primary PAH patient-derived and healthy pulmonary ECs with BMP9 and observed that stimulation induces transient transcriptional signaling associated with the process of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). However, solely PAH pulmonary ECs showed signs of a mesenchymal trans-differentiation characterized by a loss of VE-cadherin, induction of transgelin (SM22α), and reorganization of the cytoskeleton. In the PAH cells, a prolonged EndMT signaling was found accompanied by sustained elevation of pro-inflammatory, pro-hypoxic, and pro-apoptotic signaling. Herein we identified interleukin-6 (IL6)-dependent signaling to be the central mediator required for the BMP9-induced phenotypic change in PAH pulmonary ECs. Furthermore, we were able to target the BMP9-induced EndMT process by an IL6 capturing antibody that normalized autocrine IL6 levels, prevented mesenchymal transformation, and maintained a functional EC phenotype in PAH pulmonary ECs. In conclusion, our results show that the BMP9-induced aberrant EndMT in PAH pulmonary ECs is dependent on exacerbated pro-inflammatory signaling mediated through IL6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Szulcek
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gonzalo Sanchez-Duffhues
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nina Rol
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaoke Pan
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roula Tsonaka
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Medical Statistics Section, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Lai Ming Yung
- Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xue D Manz
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kondababu Kurakula
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hailiang Mei
- Sequencing Analysis Support Core, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Timens
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Universtiy of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul B Yu
- Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Harm-Jan Bogaard
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-José Goumans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
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7
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FOXF1 Inhibits Pulmonary Fibrosis by Preventing CDH2-CDH11 Cadherin Switch in Myofibroblasts. Cell Rep 2019; 23:442-458. [PMID: 29642003 PMCID: PMC5947867 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by aberrant accumulation of collagen-secreting myofibroblasts. Development of effective therapies is limited due to incomplete understanding of molecular mechanisms regulating myofibroblast expansion. FOXF1 transcription factor is expressed in resident lung fibroblasts, but its role in lung fibrosis remains unknown due to the lack of genetic mouse models. Through comprehensive analysis of human IPF genomics data, lung biopsies, and transgenic mice with fibroblast-specific inactivation of FOXF1, we show that FOXF1 inhibits pulmonary fibrosis. FOXF1 deletion increases myofibroblast invasion and collagen secretion and promotes a switch from N-cadherin (CDH2) to Cadherin-11 (CDH11), which is a critical step in the acquisition of the pro-fibrotic phenotype. FOXF1 directly binds to Cdh2 and Cdh11 promoters and differentially regulates transcription of these genes. Re-expression of CDH2 or inhibition of CDH11 in FOXF1-deficient cells reduces myofibroblast invasion in vitro. FOXF1 inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by regulating a switch from CDH2 to CDH11 in lung myofibroblasts.
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8
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Sandbo N. Mechanisms of Fibrosis in IPF. Respir Med 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-99975-3_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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van der Velden JL, Wagner DE, Lahue KG, Abdalla ST, Lam YW, Weiss DJ, Janssen-Heininger YMW. TGF-β1-induced deposition of provisional extracellular matrix by tracheal basal cells promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in a c-Jun NH 2-terminal kinase-1-dependent manner. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2018; 314:L984-L997. [PMID: 29469614 PMCID: PMC6032072 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00053.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cells have been suggested as potential drivers of lung fibrosis, although the epithelial-dependent pathways that promote fibrogenesis remain unknown. Extracellular matrix is increasingly recognized as an environment that can drive cellular responses in various pulmonary diseases. In this study, we demonstrate that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-stimulated mouse tracheal basal (MTB) cells produce provisional matrix proteins in vitro, which initiate mesenchymal changes in subsequently freshly plated MTB cells via Rho kinase- and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK1)-dependent processes. Repopulation of decellularized lung scaffolds, derived from mice with bleomycin-induced fibrosis or from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with wild-type MTB cells resulted in a loss of epithelial gene expression and augmentation of mesenchymal gene expression compared with cells seeded into decellularized normal lungs. In contrast, Jnk1-/- basal cells seeded into fibrotic lung scaffolds retained a robust epithelial expression profile, failed to induce mesenchymal genes, and differentiated into club cell secretory protein-expressing cells. This new paradigm wherein TGF-β1-induced extracellular matrix derived from MTB cells activates a JNK1-dependent mesenchymal program, which impedes subsequent normal epithelial cell homeostasis, provides a plausible scenario of chronic aberrant epithelial repair, thought to be critical in lung fibrogenesis. This study identifies JNK1 as a possible target for inhibition in settings wherein reepithelialization is desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jos L van der Velden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
| | - Darcy E Wagner
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
- Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lung Bioengineering, and Regeneration, Lund University , Lund, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Lund University , Lund, Sweden
| | - Karolyn G Lahue
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
| | - Sarah T Abdalla
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
| | - Ying-Wai Lam
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
- Vermont Genetics Networks Proteomics Facility, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
| | - Daniel J Weiss
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
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10
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Caruso JA, Stemmer PM. Petroleum coke exposure leads to altered secretome profiles in human lung models. Hum Exp Toxicol 2018; 37:1215-1232. [PMID: 29577758 DOI: 10.1177/0960327118765326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Petroleum coke (PC) is a coal-like product that is produced during the refinement of crude oil and bituminous sand. Fugitive dust from open storage of PC in urban areas is a potential human health concern. Animal inhalation studies suggest that PC leads to an adverse pulmonary histopathology, including areas of fibrosis and chronic inflammation; however, little is known about its impact on human health. In order to identify biomarkers and cellular pathways that are associated with exposure, we performed two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analyses on secreted proteins from two human lung culture models. A total of 2795 proteins were identified and relatively quantified from an immortalized cell line and 2406 proteins from primary cultures that were either mock treated or exposed to particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5-10 μm PC or filtered urban air particulates for 16 h. Pathway analysis on secretomes from primary lung cultures indicated that PC exposure suppressed the secretion of proteins involved in the organization of the extracellular matrix and epithelial differentiation. Because these cellular processes could facilitate fibrosis, we performed chronic 12-day exposure studies on three-dimensional human lung cultures consisting of epithelia and stromal fibroblasts. Relative to mock-treated cells, matrix metallopeptidase 9 levels in the conditioned media were lower by 4 days postexposure and remained suppressed for the duration of the experiment. Immunocytochemical staining of collagen III, a marker associated with fibrosis, showed increased accumulation in the epithelial layer and at the air-liquid interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Caruso
- 1 Proteomics Core Facility, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - P M Stemmer
- 2 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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11
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Kimura M, Hashimoto N, Kusunose M, Aoyama D, Sakamoto K, Miyazaki S, Ando A, Omote N, Imaizumi K, Kawabe T, Hasegawa Y. Exogenous induction of unphosphorylated PTEN reduces TGFβ-induced extracellular matrix expressions in lung fibroblasts. Wound Repair Regen 2017; 25:86-97. [PMID: 28019709 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) plays an important role in regulating aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM) production from alveolar/epithelial cells (AECs) and fibroblasts in pulmonary fibrosis. Although the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) can negatively control many TGFβ-activated signaling pathways via the phosphatase activity, hyperactivation of the TGFβ-related signaling pathways is often observed in fibrosis. Loss of PTEN expression might cause TGFβ-induced ECM production. In addition, TGFβ was recently shown to induce loss of PTEN enzymatic activity by phosphorylating the PTEN C-terminus. Therefore, we hypothesized that exogenous transfer of unphosphorylated PTEN (PTEN4A) might lead to reduce TGFβ-induced ECM expression in not only epithelial cells but also fibroblasts. Adenovirus-based exogenous PTEN4A induction successfully reduced TGFβ-induced fibronectin expression and retained β-catenin at the cell membrane in human epithelial cells. Exogenous unphosphorylated PTEN also attenuated TGFβ-induced ECM production and inhibited TGFβ-induced β-catenin translocation in a human fibroblast cell line and in mouse primary isolated lung fibroblasts. Conversely, TGFβ-induced α-smooth muscle actin expression did not seem to be inhibited in these fibroblasts. Our data suggest that exogenous administration of unphosphorylated PTEN might be a promising strategy to restore TGFβ-induced loss of PTEN activity and reduce aberrant TGFβ-induced ECM production from epithelial cells and fibroblasts in lung fibrosis as compared with wild-type PTEN induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motohiro Kimura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Naozumi Hashimoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kusunose
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Aoyama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Koji Sakamoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shinichi Miyazaki
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akira Ando
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norihiro Omote
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Imaizumi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and allergy, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kawabe
- Department of Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Hasegawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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12
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Kim KK, Sisson TH, Horowitz JC. Fibroblast growth factors and pulmonary fibrosis: it's more complex than it sounds. J Pathol 2016; 241:6-9. [PMID: 27757968 DOI: 10.1002/path.4825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lung fibrosis results from the cumulative effect of dysfunctional wound repair involving multiple cell types, including fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and macrophages responding to an array of soluble and matrix-mediated stimuli. Recent studies have shown that a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets FGF, VEGF, and PDGF receptors can slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, each of these growth factor families is comprised of multiple ligands and receptors with pleiotropic activities on different cell types such that their broad inhibition might have both pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic effects, limiting the potential therapeutic efficacy. Continued investigation and delineation of specific roles of individual proteins and receptors on different cell types hold promise for targeting specific pathways with precision and optimizing the potential efficacy of future approaches to lung fibrosis therapy. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 6303 MSRB 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5642, USA
| | - Thomas H Sisson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 6303 MSRB 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5642, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Horowitz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 6303 MSRB 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5642, USA
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13
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Chimenti I, Pagano F, Angelini F, Siciliano C, Mangino G, Picchio V, De Falco E, Peruzzi M, Carnevale R, Ibrahim M, Biondi‐Zoccai G, Messina E, Frati G. Human Lung Spheroids as In Vitro Niches of Lung Progenitor Cells with Distinctive Paracrine and Plasticity Properties. Stem Cells Transl Med 2016; 6:767-777. [PMID: 28297570 PMCID: PMC5442776 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Basic and translational research on lung biology has discovered multiple progenitor cell types, specialized or facultative, responsible for turnover, renewal, and repair. Isolation of populations of resident lung progenitor cells (LPCs) has been described by multiple protocols, and some have been successfully applied to healthy human lung tissue. We aimed at understanding how different cell culture conditions may affect, in vitro, the phenotype of LPCs to create an ideal niche‐like microenvironment. The influence of different substrates (i.e., fibronectin, gelatin, laminin) and the impact of a three‐dimensional/two‐dimensional (3D/2D) culture switch on the biology of LPCs isolated as lung spheroids (LSs) from normal adult human lung biopsy specimens were investigated. We applied a spheroid culture system as the selective/inductive step for progenitor cell culture, as described in many biological systems. The data showed a niche‐like proepithelial microenvironment inside the LS, highly sensitive to the 3D culture system and significantly affecting the phenotype of adult LPCs more than culture substrate. LSs favor epithelial phenotypes and LPC maintenance and contain cells more responsive to specific commitment stimuli than 2D monolayer cultures, while secreting a distinctive set of paracrine factors. We have shown for the first time, to our knowledge, how culture as 3D LSs can affect LPC epithelial phenotype and produce strong paracrine signals with a distinctive secretomic profile compared with 2D monolayer conditions. These findings suggest novel approaches to maintain ex vivo LPCs for basic and translational studies. Stem Cells Translational Medicine2017;6:767–777
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Affiliation(s)
- Isotta Chimenti
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pagano
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Angelini
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Siciliano
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Mangino
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Picchio
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena De Falco
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Peruzzi
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Carnevale
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mohsen Ibrahim
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Science and Translational Medicine, “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Biondi‐Zoccai
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of AngioCardioNeurology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Elisa Messina
- Department of Pediatrics and Neuropsychiatry, “Umberto I” Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Frati
- Department of Medical‐Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of AngioCardioNeurology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
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14
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Li A, Ma S, Smith SM, Lee MK, Fischer A, Borok Z, Bellusci S, Li C, Minoo P. Mesodermal ALK5 controls lung myofibroblast versus lipofibroblast cell fate. BMC Biol 2016; 14:19. [PMID: 26984772 PMCID: PMC4793501 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0242-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal cross talk is centerpiece in the development of many branched organs, including the lungs. The embryonic lung mesoderm provides instructional information not only for lung architectural development, but also for patterning, commitment and differentiation of its many highly specialized cell types. The mesoderm also serves as a reservoir of progenitors for generation of differentiated mesenchymal cell types that include αSMA-expressing fibroblasts, lipofibroblasts, endothelial cells and others. Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) is a key signaling pathway in epithelial-mesenchymal cross talk. Using a cre-loxP approach we have elucidated the role of the TGFβ type I receptor tyrosine kinase, ALK5, in epithelial-mesenchymal cross talk during lung morphogenesis. Results Targeted early inactivation of Alk5 in mesodermal progenitors caused abnormal development and maturation of the lung that included reduced physical size of the sub-mesothelial mesoderm, an established source of specific mesodermal progenitors. Abrogation of mesodermal ALK5-mediated signaling also inhibited differentiation of cell populations in the epithelial and endothelial lineages. Importantly, Alk5 mutant lungs contained a reduced number of αSMApos cells and correspondingly increased lipofibroblasts. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms revealed that through direct and indirect modulation of target signaling pathways and transcription factors, including PDGFRα, PPARγ, PRRX1, and ZFP423, ALK5-mediated TGFβ controls a process that regulates the commitment and differentiation of αSMApos versus lipofibroblast cell populations during lung development. Conclusion ALK5-mediated TGFβ signaling controls an early pathway that regulates the commitment and differentiation of αSMApos versus LIF cell lineages during lung development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0242-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimin Li
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Shudong Ma
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Susan M Smith
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Matt K Lee
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Ashley Fischer
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Zea Borok
- Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Saverio Bellusci
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Excellence Cluster Cardio Pulmonary System, University Justus Liebig Giessen, Giessen, 39352, Germany.,Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya St 18, Kazan, 420008, Russia
| | - Changgong Li
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Parviz Minoo
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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15
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Kusunose M, Hashimoto N, Kimura M, Ogata R, Aoyama D, Sakamoto K, Miyazaki S, Ando A, Omote N, Imaizumi K, Kawabe T, Hasegawa Y. Direct regulation of transforming growth factor β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition by the protein phosphatase activity of unphosphorylated PTEN in lung cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2015; 106:1693-704. [PMID: 26450531 PMCID: PMC4714667 DOI: 10.1111/cas.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) causes the acquisition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although the tumor suppressor gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted from chromosome 10) can negatively regulate many signaling pathways activated by TGFβ, hyperactivation of these signaling pathways is observed in lung cancer cells. We recently showed that PTEN might be subject to TGFβ-induced phosphorylation of its C-terminus, resulting in a loss of its enzyme activities; PTEN with an unphosphorylated C-terminus (PTEN4A), but not PTEN wild, inhibits TGFβ-induced EMT. Nevertheless, whether or not the blockade of TGFβ-induced EMT by the PTEN phosphatase activity might be attributed to the unphosphorylated PTEN C-terminus itself has not been fully determined. Furthermore, the lipid phosphatase activity of PTEN is well characterized, whereas the protein phosphatase activity has not been determined. By using lung cancer cells carrying PTEN domain deletions or point mutants, we investigated the role of PTEN protein phosphatase activities on TGFβ-induced EMT in lung cancer cells. The unphosphorylated PTEN C-terminus might not directly retain the phosphatase activities and repress TGFβ-induced EMT; the modification that keeps the PTEN C-terminus not phosphorylated might enable PTEN to retain the phosphatase activity. PTEN4A with G129E mutation, which lacks lipid phosphatase activity but retains protein phosphatase activity, repressed TGFβ-induced EMT. Furthermore, the protein phosphatase activity of PTEN4A depended on an essential association between the C2 and phosphatase domains. These data suggest that the protein phosphatase activity of PTEN with an unphosphorylated C-terminus might be a therapeutic target to negatively regulate TGFβ-induced EMT in lung cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Kusunose
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Naozumi Hashimoto
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Motohiro Kimura
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Ryo Ogata
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Daisuke Aoyama
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Koji Sakamoto
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Shinichi Miyazaki
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Akira Ando
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Norihito Omote
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Kazuyoshi Imaizumi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and AllergyFujita Health UniversityToyoakeJapan
| | - Tsutomu Kawabe
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory SciencesNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
| | - Yoshinori Hasegawa
- Department of Respiratory MedicineNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoyaJapan
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16
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Breakdown of Epithelial Barrier Integrity and Overdrive Activation of Alveolar Epithelial Cells in the Pathogenesis of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Lung Fibrosis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:573210. [PMID: 26523279 PMCID: PMC4615219 DOI: 10.1155/2015/573210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) collaboratively form a tight barrier between atmosphere and fluid-filled tissue to enable normal gas exchange. The tight junctions of AECs provide intercellular sealing and are integral to the maintenance of the AEC barrier integrity. Disruption and failure of reconstitution of AEC barrier result in catastrophic consequences, leading to alveolar flooding and subsequent devastating fibrotic scarring. Recent evidences reveal that many of the fibrotic lung diseases involve AECs both as a frequent target of injury and as a driver of ongoing pathological processes. Aberrantly activated AECs express most of the growth factors and chemokines responsible for the proliferation, migration, and activation of fibroblasts. Current evidences suggest that AECs may acquire overdrive activation in the initial step of fibrosis by several mechanisms, including abnormal recapitulation of the developmental pathway, defects of the molecules essential for epithelial integrity, and acceleration of aging-related properties. Among these initial triggering events, epithelial Pten, a multiple phosphatase that negatively regulates the PI3K/Akt pathway and is crucial for lung development, is essential for the prevention of alveolar flooding and lung fibrosis through the regulation of AEC barrier integrity after injury. Reestablishment of AEC barrier integrity also involves the deployment of specialized stem/progenitor cells.
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17
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Shen HJ, Sun YH, Zhang SJ, Jiang JX, Dong XW, Jia YL, Shen J, Guan Y, Zhang LH, Li FF, Lin XX, Wu XM, Xie QM, Yan XF. Cigarette smoke-induced alveolar epithelial-mesenchymal transition is mediated by Rac1 activation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2014; 1840:1838-49. [PMID: 24508121 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the major pathophysiological process in lung fibrosis observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Smoking is a risk factor for developing EMT, yet the mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of Rac1 in cigarette smoke (CS) induced EMT. METHODS EMT was induced in mice and pulmonary epithelial cells by exposure of CS and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) respectively. RESULTS Treatment of pulmonary epithelial cells with CSE elevated Rac1 expression associated with increased TGF-β1 release. Blocking TGF-β pathway restrained CSE-induced changes in EMT-related markers. Pharmacological inhibition or knockdown of Rac1 decreased the CSE exposure induced TGF-β1 release and ameliorated CSE-induced EMT. In CS-exposed mice, pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 reduced TGF-β1 release and prevented aberrations in expression of EMT markers, suggesting that Rac1 is a critical signaling molecule for induction of CS-stimulated EMT. Furthermore, Rac1 inhibition or knockdown abrogated CSE-induced Smad2 and Akt (PKB, protein kinase B) activation in pulmonary epithelial cells. Inhibition of Smad2, PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) or Akt suppressed CSE-induced changes in epithelial and mesenchymal marker expression. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Altogether, these data suggest that CS initiates EMT through Rac1/Smad2 and Rac1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our data provide new insights into the fundamental basis of EMT and suggest a possible new course of therapy for COPD and lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-juan Shen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan-hong Sun
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shui-juan Zhang
- Pharmacy College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jun-xia Jiang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin-wei Dong
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yong-liang Jia
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jian Shen
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan Guan
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lin-hui Zhang
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fen-fen Li
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xi-xi Lin
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xi-mei Wu
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qiang-min Xie
- Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Food and Drug Administration of China, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Laboratory Animal Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Xiao-feng Yan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
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18
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Xi Y, Tan K, Brumwell AN, Chen SC, Kim YH, Kim TJ, Wei Y, Chapman HA. Inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and pulmonary fibrosis by methacycline. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2014; 50:51-60. [PMID: 23944988 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2013-0099oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
A high-throughput small-molecule screen was conducted to identify inhibitors of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that could be used as tool compounds to test the importance of EMT signaling in vivo during fibrogenesis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced fibronectin expression and E-cadherin repression in A549 cells were used as 48-hour endpoints in a cell-based imaging screen. Compounds that directly blocked Smad2/3 phosphorylation were excluded. From 2,100 bioactive compounds, methacycline was identified as an inhibitor of A549 EMT with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of roughly 5 μM. In vitro, methacycline inhibited TGF-β1-induced α-smooth muscle actin, Snail1, and collagen I of primary alveolar epithelial cells . Methacycline inhibited TGF-β1-induced non-Smad pathways, including c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, and Akt activation, but not Smad or β-catenin transcriptional activity. Methacycline had no effect on baseline c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, or Akt activities or lung fibroblast responses to TGF-β1. In vivo, 100 mg/kg intraperitoneal methacycline delivered daily beginning 10 days after intratracheal bleomycin improved survival at Day 17 (P < 0.01). Bleomycin-induced canonical EMT markers, Snail1, Twist1, collagen I, as well as fibronectin protein and mRNA, were attenuated by methacycline (Day 17). Methacycline did not attenuate inflammatory cell accumulation or alter TGF-β1-responsive genes in alveolar macrophages. These studies identify a novel inhibitor of EMT as a potent suppressor of fibrogenesis, further supporting the concept that EMT signaling is important to lung fibrosis. The findings also provide support for testing the impact of methacycline or doxycycline, an active analog, on progression of human pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xi
- 1 Pulmonary and Critical Care Division and Department of Medicine, and
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Vyas-Read S, Wang W, Kato S, Colvocoresses-Dodds J, Fifadara NH, Gauthier TW, Helms MN, Carlton DP, Brown LAS. Hyperoxia induces alveolar epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2013; 306:L326-40. [PMID: 24375795 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00074.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblast accumulation is a pathological feature of lung diseases requiring oxygen therapy. One possible source for myofibroblasts is through the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of alveolar epithelial cells (AEC). To study the effects of oxygen on alveolar EMT, we used RLE-6TN and ex vivo lung slices and found that hyperoxia (85% O2, H85) decreased epithelial proteins, presurfactant protein B (pre-SpB), pro-SpC, and lamellar protein by 50% and increased myofibroblast proteins, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and vimentin by over 200% (P < 0.05). In AEC freshly isolated from H85-treated rats, mRNA for pre-SpB and pro-SpC was diminished by ∼50% and α-SMA was increased by 100% (P < 0.05). Additionally, H85 increased H2O2 content, and H2O2 (25-50 μM) activated endogenous transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), as evident by H2DCFDA immunofluorescence and ELISA (P < 0.05). Both hyperoxia and H2O2 increased SMAD3 phosphorylation (260% of control, P < 0.05). Treating cultured cells with TGF-β1 inhibitors did not prevent H85-induced H2O2 production but did prevent H85-mediated α-SMA increases and E-cadherin downregulation. Finally, to determine the role of TGF-β1 in hyperoxia-induced EMT in vivo, we evaluated AEC from H85-treated rats and found that vimentin increased ∼10-fold (P < 0.05) and that this effect was prevented by intraperitoneal TGF-β1 inhibitor SB-431542. Additionally, SB-431542 treatment attenuated changes in alveolar histology caused by hyperoxia. Our studies indicate that hyperoxia promotes alveolar EMT through a mechanism that is dependent on activation of TGF-β1 signaling.
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Karki S, Surolia R, Hock TD, Guroji P, Zolak JS, Duggal R, Ye T, Thannickal VJ, Antony VB. Wilms' tumor 1 (Wt1) regulates pleural mesothelial cell plasticity and transition into myofibroblasts in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. FASEB J 2013; 28:1122-31. [PMID: 24265486 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-236828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs), which are derived from the mesoderm, exhibit an extraordinary capacity to undergo phenotypic changes during development and disease. PMC transformation and trafficking has a newly defined role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, the contribution of Wilms' tumor 1 (Wt1)-positive PMCs to the generation of pathognomonic myofibroblasts remains unclear. PMCs were obtained from IPF lung explants and healthy donor lungs that were not used for transplantation. Short hairpin Wt1-knockdown PMCs (sh Wt1) were generated with Wt1 shRNA, and morphologic and functional assays were performed in vitro. Loss of Wt1 abrogated the PMC phenotype and showed evidence of mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT), with a reduced expression of E-cadherin and an increase in the profibrotic markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin, along with increased migration and contractility, compared with that of the control. Migration of PMCs in response to active transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was assessed by live-cell imaging with 2-photon microscopy and 3D imaging, of Wt1-EGFP transgenic mice. Lineage-tracing experiments to map the fate of Wt1(+) PMCs in mouse lung in response to TGF-β1 were also performed by using a Cre-loxP system. Our results, for the first time, demonstrate that Wt1 is necessary for the morphologic integrity of pleural membrane and that loss of Wt1 contributes to IPF via MMT of PMCs into a myofibroblast phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Karki
- 2Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Interest in the myofibroblast as a key player in propagation of chronic progressive fibrosis continues to elicit many publications, with focus on its cellular origins and the mechanisms underpinning their differentiation and/or transition. The objective of the review is to highlight this recent progress. RECENT FINDINGS The epithelial origin of the myofibroblast in fibrosis has been challenged by recent studies, with the pericyte suggested as a possible precursor instead. Additional signaling pathways, including Notch, Wnt, and hedgehog, are implicated in myofibroblast differentiation. The importance of NADPH oxidase 4 was highlighted recently to suggest a potential link between cellular/oxidative stress and the genesis of the myofibroblast. Recent observations on the importance of lysophosphatidic acid in fibrosis suggest that this may be due, in part, to its ability to regulate myofibroblast differentiation. Finally, there is increasing evidence for the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating myofibroblast differentiation, including DNA methylation and miRNA regulation of gene expression. SUMMARY These recent discoveries open up a whole new array of potential targets for novel antifibrotic therapies. This is of special importance given the current bleak outlook for chronic progressive fibrotic diseases, such as scleroderma, due to lack of effective therapies.
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Ngamjariyawat A, Turpaev K, Vasylovska S, Kozlova EN, Welsh N. Co-culture of neural crest stem cells (NCSC) and insulin producing beta-TC6 cells results in cadherin junctions and protection against cytokine-induced beta-cell death. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61828. [PMID: 23613946 PMCID: PMC3629122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Transplantation of pancreatic islets to Type 1 diabetes patients is hampered by inflammatory reactions at the transplantation site leading to dysfunction and death of insulin producing beta-cells. Recently we have shown that co-transplantation of neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) together with the islet cells improves transplantation outcome. The aim of the present investigation was to describe in vitro interactions between NCSCs and insulin producing beta-TC6 cells that may mediate protection against cytokine-induced beta-cell death. Procedures Beta-TC6 and NCSC cells were cultured either alone or together, and either with or without cell culture inserts. The cultures were then exposed to the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IFN-γ for 48 hours followed by analysis of cell death rates (flow cytometry), nitrite production (Griess reagent), protein localization (immunofluorescence) and protein phosphorylation (flow cytometry). Results We observed that beta-TC6 cells co-cultured with NCSCs were protected against cytokine-induced cell death, but not when separated by cell culture inserts. This occurred in parallel with (i) augmented production of nitrite from beta-TC6 cells, indicating that increased cell survival allows a sustained production of nitric oxide; (ii) NCSC-derived laminin production; (iii) decreased phospho-FAK staining in beta-TC6 cell focal adhesions, and (iv) decreased beta-TC6 cell phosphorylation of ERK(T202/Y204), FAK(Y397) and FAK(Y576). Furthermore, co-culture also resulted in cadherin and beta-catenin accumulations at the NCSC/beta-TC6 cell junctions. Finally, the gap junction inhibitor carbenoxolone did not affect cytokine-induced beta-cell death during co-culture with NCSCs. Conclusion In summary, direct contacts, but not soluble factors, promote improved beta-TC6 viability when co-cultured with NCSCs. We hypothesize that cadherin junctions between NCSC and beta-TC6 cells promote powerful signals that maintain beta-cell survival even though ERK and FAK signaling are suppressed. It may be that future strategies to improve islet transplantation outcome may benefit from attempts to increase beta-cell cadherin junctions to neighboring cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyril Turpaev
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, and Science For Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Elena N. Kozlova
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail: (NW); (ENK)
| | - Nils Welsh
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, and Science For Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail: (NW); (ENK)
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Strauch AR, Hariharan S. Dynamic Interplay of Smooth Muscle α-Actin Gene-Regulatory Proteins Reflects the Biological Complexity of Myofibroblast Differentiation. BIOLOGY 2013; 2:555-86. [PMID: 24832798 PMCID: PMC3960882 DOI: 10.3390/biology2020555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts (MFBs) are smooth muscle-like cells that provide contractile force required for tissue repair during wound healing. The leading agonist for MFB differentiation is transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) that induces transcription of genes encoding smooth muscle α-actin (SMαA) and interstitial collagen that are markers for MFB differentiation. TGFβ1 augments activation of Smad transcription factors, pro-survival Akt kinase, and p38 MAP kinase as well as Wingless/int (Wnt) developmental signaling. These actions conspire to activate β-catenin needed for expression of cyclin D, laminin, fibronectin, and metalloproteinases that aid in repairing epithelial cells and their associated basement membranes. Importantly, β-catenin also provides a feed-forward stimulus that amplifies local TGFβ1 autocrine/paracrine signaling causing transition of mesenchymal stromal cells, pericytes, and epithelial cells into contractile MFBs. Complex, mutually interactive mechanisms have evolved that permit several mammalian cell types to activate the SMαA promoter and undergo MFB differentiation. These molecular controls will be reviewed with an emphasis on the dynamic interplay between serum response factor, TGFβ1-activated Smads, Wnt-activated β-catenin, p38/calcium-activated NFAT protein, and the RNA-binding proteins, Purα, Purβ, and YB-1, in governing transcriptional and translational control of the SMαA gene in injury-activated MFBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Roger Strauch
- Department of Physiology & Cell Biology and the Ohio State Biochemistry Program, the Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Seethalakshmi Hariharan
- Department of Physiology & Cell Biology and the Ohio State Biochemistry Program, the Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Micromanaging microRNAs: using murine models to study microRNAs in lung fibrosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 10:e145-e151. [PMID: 25328532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddmod.2012.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are implicated in many biological and pathological processes and are emerging as key actors in lung health and disease. Specific patterns of dysregulated microRNAs have been found in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an untreatable interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. IPF is characterized by dramatic and extensive phenotypic changes in the lung that include alveolar cell hyperplasia, fibroblast proliferation and formation of myofibroblast foci, deposition of extracellular matrix, and changes in lung transcriptional programming. Here, we discuss the latest insights about the role of microRNAs in lung fibrosis with a focus on the contribution of animal models of disease to the derivation of these insights.
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Miyoshi K, Yanagi S, Kawahara K, Nishio M, Tsubouchi H, Imazu Y, Koshida R, Matsumoto N, Taguchi A, Yamashita SI, Suzuki A, Nakazato M. Epithelial Pten controls acute lung injury and fibrosis by regulating alveolar epithelial cell integrity. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2012; 187:262-75. [PMID: 23239155 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201205-0851oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Injury to alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and to their repair process is integral to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The mechanisms regulating the integrity of AECs and their intrinsic regulators remain unclear. Pten is a tumor suppressor, and its function in epithelial cells during organ fibrosis is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the role of epithelial Pten in ALI and lung fibrosis. METHODS Bronchioalveolar epithelium-specific Pten-deleted SP-C-rtTA/(tetO)(7)-Cre/Pten(Δ/Δ) (SOPten(Δ/Δ)) mice were studied by structural, biochemical, and physiologic analyses and compared with wild-type mice. Further mechanistic studies were performed in vivo, in vitro, and on samples from patients with IPF. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS SOPten(Δ/Δ) mice demonstrated exacerbated alveolar flooding and subsequent augmented lung scarring with enhanced disassembly of tight junctions (TJs) of AECs and degradation of basement membranes. The induction of dominant negative PTEN gene in lung epithelial cells led to augmented transforming growth factor-1-induced disruptions of TJs. Epithelial-derived myofibroblasts were increased in the epithelium-specific Pten-deficient mice. The lungs of bleomycin-treated SOPten(Δ/Δ) mice showed increased pAkt, pS6K, Snail, and matrix metalloproteinase expressions and decreased claudin-4, E-cadherin, and laminin-β1 expressions. Akt inactivation definitively saved SOPten(Δ/Δ) mice through amelioration of ALI and retention of AEC integrity. We detected a reduction of PTEN expression and AKT hyperactivation in the AECs of human IPF lungs. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight epithelial Pten as a crucial gatekeeper controlling ALI and lung fibrosis by modulating AEC integrity, and the Pten/PI3K/Akt pathway as a potential therapeutic target in these intractable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kahori Miyoshi
- Division of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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