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Sun H, Wu Y, Xiong Z, Gu Y, Jia Q, Ru Z, Peng Y, Kang Z, Li Y, Huang Y, Yin S, Guo K, Feng C, Tang J, Gao Z, Wang Y, Yang X. Amphibian-derived peptide RL-RF10 ameliorates paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis injury. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 171:116184. [PMID: 38244328 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis is the result of dysfunctional repair after lung tissue injury, characterized by fibroblast proliferation and massive extracellular matrix aggregation. Once fibrotic lesions develop, effective treatment is difficult, with few drugs currently available. Here, we identified a short cyclic decapeptide RL-RF10 derived from frog skin secretions as a potential novel lead molecule for the amelioration of pulmonary fibrosis. In vivo experiments indicated that RL-RF10 treatment ameliorated lung histopathological damage and fibrogenesis after paraquat (PQ) induction in a concentration-dependent manner. On day 7, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid assays performed on mice showed that RL-RF10 exerted anti-inflammatory effects by decreasing the expression of inflammation-related factors, including transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and tumor necrosis factor-α, in lung tissue. In addition, RL-RF10 down-regulated the levels of collagen I, collagen III, and vimentin, while increasing the expression of E-cadherin to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Further research demonstrated that the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway, which is strongly linked to TGF-β1, played a critical function in enhancing the pulmonary fibrosis relief achieved by RL-RF10. Both in vivo and in vitro assays showed that RL-RF10 treatment led to a significant reduction in the phosphorylation levels of SMAD2 and SMAD3 following PQ induction. Overall, we investigated the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of the RL-RF10 peptide against pulmonary fibrosis and demonstrated its potential as a novel therapeutic drug candidate for the treatment of pulmonary fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiling Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Yutong Wu
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Ziqian Xiong
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Yuanqi Gu
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Qiuye Jia
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Zeqiong Ru
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Ying Peng
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Zijian Kang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Yuansheng Li
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Yubing Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Saige Yin
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Kun Guo
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Chengan Feng
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Zhenhua Gao
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China; Yunnan Province Clinical Research Center for Chronic Kidney Disease, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China.
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources & Key Laboratory of Natural Products Synthetic Biology of Ethnic Medicinal Endophytes, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650504, China.
| | - Xinwang Yang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China.
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