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Yang Y, Wang X, Zhang J. Pirfenidone and nintedanib attenuate pulmonary fibrosis in mice by inhibiting the expression of JAK2. J Thorac Dis 2024; 16:1128-1140. [PMID: 38505034 PMCID: PMC10944717 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1057] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Pirfenidone and nintedanib were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). These two drugs can slow the progression of the disease, but the specific mechanisms are not fully understood. In the current study, bleomycin (BLM) induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice was accompanied by high p-JAK2 expression in lung tissue, mainly in the nucleus. The expression of p-JAK2 significantly decreased after intragastric administration of pirfenidone and nintedanib. p-JAK2 is reportedly expressed mainly in the cytoplasm and exerts its effect by activating downstream p-STAT3 in the nucleus. Methods In vivo experiments, pulmonary fibrosis was induced in mice with BLM and then treated with pirfenidone and nintedanib. The levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1), SP-A, SP-D and KL-6 in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pathological staining was performed to assess lung fibrosis in mice, Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of relevant proteins, and immunofluorescence was performed to observe the fluorescence expression of p-JAK2. In cellular experiments, MLE12 was stimulated with TGF-β1 and intervened with TGF-β1 receptor inhibitor and si-JAK2, pirfenidone and nintedanib, respectively, and the related protein expression levels were detected by Western blot. Results In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, pirfenidone and nintedanib were found to attenuate the expression of lung fibrosis markers by inhibiting the expression of JAK2, which may reduce the entry of p-JAK2 into the nucleus by downregulating JAK2 phosphorylation through inhibition of the TGF-β receptor. In contrast, inhibition of JAK2 expression greatly reduced the expression of TGF-β receptor and α-smooth muscles actin (a myofibroblast activation marker). Conclusions In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, the present study demonstrated that TGF-β1 promotes JAK2 phosphorylation through a non-classical pathway, and conversely, inhibition of JAK2 expression affects the TGF-β1 signalling pathway. Therefore, we speculate that TGF-β1 and JAK2 signaling pathways interact with each other and participate in fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinmeng Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Cao ZJ, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Yang PR, Li ZG, Song MY, Qi XM, Han ZF, Pang JL, Li BC, Zhang XR, Dai HP, Wang J, Wang C. Pirfenidone ameliorates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice by inhibiting the secretion of interleukin-17A. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:908-918. [PMID: 34316030 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00706-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Silicosis is a global occupational disease characterized by lung dysfunction, pulmonary inflammation, and fibrosis, for which there is a lack of effective drugs. Pirfenidone has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties in the lung. However, whether and how pirfenidone is effective against silicosis remains unknown. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of pirfenidone in the treatment of early and advanced silicosis in an experimental mouse model and explored its potential pharmacological mechanisms. We found that pirfenidone alleviated silica-induced lung dysfunction, secretion of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and deposition of fibrotic proteins (collagen I and fibronectin) in both early and advanced silicosis models. Moreover, we observed that both 100 and 200 mg/kg pirfenidone can effectively treat early-stage silicosis, while 400 mg/kg was recommended for advanced silicosis. Mechanistically, antibody array and bioinformatic analysis showed that the pathways related to IL-17 secretion, including JAK-STAT pathway, Th17 differentiation, and IL-17 pathway, might be involved in the treatment of silicosis by pirfenidone. Further in vivo experiments confirmed that pirfenidone reduced the production of IL-17A induced by silica exposure via inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation. Neutralizing IL-17A by anti-IL-17A antibody improved lung function and reduced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in silicosis animals. Collectively, our study has demonstrated that pirfenidone effectively ameliorated silica-induced lung dysfunction, pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mouse models by inhibiting the secretion of IL-17A.
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Cheng X, Lin J, Chen Z, Mao Y, Wu X, Xu C, Du J, Dong Z, Yang H, Zhou F, Geng D. CB2-mediated attenuation of nucleus pulposus degeneration via the amelioration of inflammation and oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. Mol Med 2021; 27:92. [PMID: 34412587 PMCID: PMC8377943 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-021-00351-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) degeneration is widely accepted as one of the major causes of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD). The pathogenesis of IVDD is complex and consists of inflammation, oxidative stress, and the loss of extracellular matrix (ECM). Cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) has been shown to be involved in the pathological mechanism of a variety of diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidative stress capacity. Method In Vitro, H2O2 was used to induce degeneration of nucleus pulposus cells, mRNA and protein expression level was determined by RT-PCR and Western Blot, and Immunocytochemical staining were used to detect expression of collagen II, aggrecan, MMP3/13, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In vivo, the potential therapeutic effect of CB2 was detected in the rat acupuncture model. Result In vitro, we found that the CB2 agonist (JWH133) treatment reduced the oxidative stress level in NPCs induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment. Furthermore, the expression of inflammatory cytokines was also decreased by JWH133 treatment. We found that collagen II and aggrecan expression was preserved, whereas matrix metalloproteinase levels were reduced. In vivo, we established a rat model by needle puncture. Imaging assessment revealed that the disc height index (DHI) and morphology of IVD were significantly improved, and the disc degeneration process was delayed by treatment of JWH133. Furthermore, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining revealed that JWH133 could inhibit the degradation of collagen II and decrease the expression of MMP3. Conclusions The experiment indicates the oxidative stress and inflammatory response of rat NPCs induced by H2O2 could be inhibited by activating CB2. This study reveals that CB2 activation can effectively delay the development of IVDD, providing an effective therapeutic target for IVDD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10020-021-00351-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Cheng
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China.,Department of Orthopaedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210000, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiayi Lin
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhanghuan Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Yubo Mao
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiexin Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Congxin Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiacheng Du
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhongchen Dong
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Huilin Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China.
| | - Dechun Geng
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188, Shi Zi Road, 215006, Suzhou, China.
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