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Patton MJ, Benson D, Robison SW, Raval D, Locy ML, Patel K, Grumley S, Levitan EB, Morris P, Might M, Gaggar A, Erdmann N. Characteristics and Determinants of Pulmonary Long COVID. JCI Insight 2024:e177518. [PMID: 38652535 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.177518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDPersistent cough and dyspnea are prominent features of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (also termed 'Long COVID'); however, physiologic measures and clinical features associated with these pulmonary symptoms remain poorly defined. Using longitudinal pulmonary function testing (PFTs) and CT imaging, this study aimed to identify the characteristics and determinants of pulmonary Long COVID.METHODSThis single-center retrospective study included 1,097 patients with clinically defined Long COVID characterized by persistent pulmonary symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and chest discomfort) lasting for ≥1 month after resolution of primary COVID infection.RESULTSAfter exclusion, a total of 929 patients with post-COVID pulmonary symptoms and PFTs were stratified diffusion impairment and restriction as measured by percent predicted diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and total lung capacity (TLC). Dyspnea was the predominant symptom in the cohort (78%) and had similar prevalence regardless of degree of diffusion impairment or restriction. Longitudinal evaluation revealed diffusion impairment (DLCO ≤80%) and pulmonary restriction (TLC ≤80%) in 51% of the cohort overall (n=479). In multivariable logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio; aOR, 95% confidence interval [CI]), invasive mechanical ventilation during primary infection conferred the greatest increased odds of developing pulmonary Long COVID with diffusion impairment and restriction (aOR=10.9 [4.09-28.6]). Finally, a sub-analysis of CT imaging identified radiographic evidence of fibrosis in this patient population.CONCLUSIONSLongitudinal PFT measurements in patients with prolonged pulmonary symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed persistent diffusion impaired restriction as a key feature of pulmonary Long COVID. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating PFTs into routine clinical practice for evaluation of patients with prolonged pulmonary symptoms after resolution of SARS-CoV-2. Subsequent clinical trials should leverage combined symptomatic and quantitative PFT measurements for more targeted enrollment of pulmonary Long COVID patients.FUNDINGThis work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI156898, K08AI129705), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL153113, OTA21-015E, HL149944), and the COVID-19 Urgent Research Response Fund established by the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Network at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael John Patton
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Donald Benson
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Sarah W Robison
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Dhaval Raval
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Kinner Patel
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Scott Grumley
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Emily B Levitan
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Peter Morris
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Matthew Might
- Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Amit Gaggar
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Divi, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Erdmann
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States of America
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Patton MJ, Benson D, Robison SW, Dhaval R, Locy ML, Patel K, Grumley S, Levitan EB, Morris P, Might M, Gaggar A, Erdmann N. Characteristics and Determinants of Pulmonary Long COVID. medRxiv 2024:2024.02.13.24302781. [PMID: 38405753 PMCID: PMC10888999 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.24302781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Persistent cough and dyspnea are prominent features of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (termed 'Long COVID'); however, physiologic measures and clinical features associated with these pulmonary symptoms remain poorly defined. OBJECTIVES Using longitudinal pulmonary function testing (PFTs) and CT imaging, this study aimed to identify the characteristics and determinants of pulmonary Long COVID. METHODS The University of Alabama at Birmingham Pulmonary Long COVID cohort was utilized to characterize lung defects in patients with persistent pulmonary symptoms after resolution primary COVID infection. Longitudinal PFTs including total lung capacity (TLC) and diffusion limitation of carbon monoxide (DLCO) were used to evaluate restriction and diffusion impairment over time in this cohort. Analysis of chest CT imaging was used to phenotype the pulmonary Long COVID pathology. Risk factors linked to development of pulmonary Long COVID were estimated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Longitudinal evaluation 929 patients with post-COVID pulmonary symptoms revealed diffusion impairment (DLCO ≤80%) and restriction (TLC ≤80%) in 51% of the cohort (n=479). In multivariable logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio; aOR, 95% confidence interval [CI]), invasive mechanical ventilation during primary infection conferred the greatest increased odds of developing pulmonary Long COVID with diffusion impaired restriction (aOR=10.9 [4.09-28.6]). Finally, a sub-analysis of CT imaging identified evidence of fibrosis in this population. CONCLUSIONS Persistent diffusion impaired restriction was identified as a key feature of pulmonary Long COVID. Subsequent clinical trials should leverage combined symptomatic and quantitative PFT measurements for more targeted enrollment of pulmonary Long COVID patients.
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Rangarajan S, Locy ML, Chanda D, Kurundkar A, Kurundkar D, Larson-Casey JL, Londono P, Bagchi RA, Deskin B, Elajaili H, Nozik ES, Deshane JS, Zmijewski JW, Eickelberg O, Thannickal VJ. Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 reprograms metabolism to induce oxidative stress and myofibroblast senescence in age-associated lung fibrosis. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13674. [PMID: 35934931 PMCID: PMC9470902 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with age-related diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We provide evidence that implicates chronic elevation of the mitochondrial anion carrier protein, uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2), in increased generation of reactive oxygen species, altered redox state and cellular bioenergetics, impaired fatty acid oxidation, and induction of myofibroblast senescence. This pro-oxidant senescence reprogramming occurs in concert with conventional actions of UCP2 as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation with dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential. UCP2 is highly expressed in human IPF lung myofibroblasts and in aged fibroblasts. In an aging murine model of lung fibrosis, the in vivo silencing of UCP2 induces fibrosis regression. These studies indicate a pro-fibrotic function of UCP2 in chronic lung disease and support its therapeutic targeting in age-related diseases associated with impaired tissue regeneration and organ fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunad Rangarajan
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Diptiman Chanda
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Ashish Kurundkar
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Deepali Kurundkar
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jennifer L Larson-Casey
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Pilar Londono
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Rushita A Bagchi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Brian Deskin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Hanan Elajaili
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratories and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Eva S Nozik
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratories and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jessy S Deshane
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jaroslaw W Zmijewski
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Oliver Eickelberg
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- John W. Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Robbins ME, Cho HY, Hansen JM, Luchsinger JR, Locy ML, Velten M, Kleeberger SR, Rogers LK, Tipple TE. Glutathione reductase deficiency alters lung development and hyperoxic responses in neonatal mice. Redox Biol 2021; 38:101797. [PMID: 33254076 PMCID: PMC7708869 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular antioxidants protect against hyperoxic lung injury. The role of the glutathione (GSH) system in lung development and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) pathogenesis has not been systematically investigated. The current study utilized GSH reductase-deficient (Gsr-KO) neonatal mice to test the hypothesis that early disruption of the GSH system negatively impacts lung development and hyperoxic responses. Lungs from wild-type (Gsr-WT) and Gsr-KO mice were analyzed for histopathology, developmental markers, redox indices, and transcriptome profiling at different developmental stages following exposure to room air or hyperoxia (85% O2) for up to 14 d. Lungs from Gsr-KO mice exhibited alveolar epithelial dysplasia in the embryonic and neonatal periods with relatively normal lung architecture in adulthood. GSH and its oxidized form (GSSG) were 50-70% lower at E19-PND14 in Gsr-KO lungs than in age-matched Gsr-WT. Differential gene expression between Gsr-WT and Gsr-KO lungs was analyzed at discrete developmental stages. Gsr-KO lungs exhibited downregulated cell cycle and DNA damage checkpoint genes at E19, as well as lung lipid metabolism and surfactant genes at PND5. In addition to abnormal baseline lung morphometry, Gsr-KO mice displayed a blunted response to hyperoxia. Hyperoxia caused a more robust upregulation of the lung thioredoxin system in Gsr-KO compared to Gsr-WT. Gsr-dependent, hyperoxia-responsive genes were highly associated with abnormal cytoskeleton, skeletal-muscular function, and tissue morphology at PND5. Overall, our data in Gsr-KO mice implicate the GSH system as a key regulator of lung development, cellular differentiation, and hyperoxic responses in neonatal mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Robbins
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Hye-Youn Cho
- Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jason M Hansen
- Physiology & Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Joseph R Luchsinger
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Markus Velten
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rheinische Friedrich- Wilhelms University, University Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Steven R Kleeberger
- Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Lynette K Rogers
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Trent E Tipple
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Locy ML, Rangarajan S, Yang S, Johnson MR, Bernard K, Kurundkar A, Bone NB, Zmijewski JW, Byun J, Pennathur S, Zhou Y, Thannickal VJ. Oxidative cross-linking of fibronectin confers protease resistance and inhibits cellular migration. Sci Signal 2020; 13:13/644/eaau2803. [PMID: 32788339 PMCID: PMC9394744 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aau2803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The oxidation of tyrosine residues to generate o,o'-dityrosine cross-links in extracellular proteins is necessary for the proper function of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in various contexts in invertebrates. Tyrosine oxidation is also required for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormone in vertebrates, and there is evidence for oxidative cross-linking reactions occurring in extracellular proteins secreted by myofibroblasts. The ECM protein fibronectin circulates in the blood as a globular protein that dimerizes through disulfide bridges generated by cysteine oxidation. We found that cellular (fibrillar) fibronectin on the surface of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-activated human myofibroblasts underwent multimerization by o,o'-dityrosine cross-linking under reducing conditions that disrupt disulfide bridges, but soluble fibronectin did not. This reaction on tyrosine residues required both the TGF-β1-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide and the presence of myeloperoxidase (MPO) derived from inflammatory cells, which are active participants in wound healing and fibrogenic processes. Oxidative cross-linking of matrix fibronectin attenuated both epithelial and fibroblast migration and conferred resistance to proteolysis by multiple proteases. The abundance of circulating o,o'-dityrosine-modified fibronectin was increased in a murine model of lung fibrosis and in human subjects with interstitial lung disease compared to that in control healthy subjects. These studies indicate that tyrosine can undergo stable, covalent linkages in fibrillar fibronectin under inflammatory conditions and that this modification affects the migratory behavior of cells on such modified matrices, suggesting that this modification may play a role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L Locy
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Sunad Rangarajan
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Sufen Yang
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Mark R Johnson
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Karen Bernard
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Ashish Kurundkar
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Nathaniel B Bone
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jaroslaw W Zmijewski
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jaeman Byun
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Subramaniam Pennathur
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Computational Medicine and Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Chanda D, Otoupalova E, Hough KP, Locy ML, Bernard K, Deshane JS, Sanderson RD, Mobley JA, Thannickal VJ. Fibronectin on the Surface of Extracellular Vesicles Mediates Fibroblast Invasion. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2019; 60:279-288. [PMID: 30321056 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0062oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are endosome and plasma membrane-derived nano-sized vesicles that participate in intercellular signaling. Although EV cargo may signal via multiple mechanisms, how signaling components on the surface of EVs mediate cellular signaling is less well understood. In this study, we show that fibroblast-derived EVs carry fibronectin on the vesicular surface, as evidenced by mass spectrometry-based proteomics (Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Mass Spectra) and flow-cytometric analyses. Fibroblasts undergoing replicative senescence or transforming growth factor β1-induced senescence and fibroblasts isolated from human subjects with an age-related lung disorder, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, secreted higher numbers of EVs than their respective controls. Fibroblast-derived EVs induced an invasive phenotype in recipient fibroblasts. This invasive fibroblast phenotype was dependent on EV surface localization of fibronectin, interaction with the fibronectin receptor α5β1 integrin, and activation of invasion-associated signaling pathways involving focal adhesion kinase and Src family kinases. EVs in the cellular supernatant, unbound to the extracellular matrix, were capable of mediating invasion signaling on recipient fibroblasts, supporting a direct interaction of EV surface fibronectin with the plasma membrane of recipient cells. Together, these studies uncover a novel mechanism of EV signaling of fibroblast invasion that may be relevant in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diptiman Chanda
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | | | - Kenneth P Hough
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Morgan L Locy
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Karen Bernard
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Jessy S Deshane
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | | | - James A Mobley
- 4 Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
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Rangarajan S, Locy ML, Zmijewski JW, Tuder RM, Eickelberg O, Thannickal VJ. Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein‐2 and Fibroblast Senescence in Age‐Related Lung Fibrosis. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.543.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan L Locy
- MedicineUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAL
| | | | - Rubin M Tuder
- MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCO
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Dunigan K, Li Q, Li R, Locy ML, Wall S, Tipple TE. The thioredoxin reductase inhibitor auranofin induces heme oxygenase-1 in lung epithelial cells via Nrf2-dependent mechanisms. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2018; 315:L545-L552. [PMID: 30024305 PMCID: PMC6230877 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00214.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thioredoxin reductase-1 (TXNRD1) inhibition effectively activates nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) responses and attenuates lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) models. Upon TXNRD1 inhibition, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is disproportionally increased compared with Nrf2 target NADPH quinone oxidoreductase-1 (Nqo1). HO-1 has been investigated as a potential therapeutic target in both ARDS and BPD. TXNRD1 is predominantly expressed in airway epithelial cells; however, the mechanism of HO-1 induction by TXNRD1 inhibitors is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that TXNRD1 inhibition induces HO-1 via Nrf2-dependent mechanisms. Wild-type (WT), Nrf2KO1.3, and Nrf2KO2.2 cells were morphologically indistinguishable, indicating that Nrf2 can be deleted from murine-transformed club cells (mtCCs) using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Hemin, a Nrf2-independent HO-1-inducing agent, significantly increased HO-1 expression in WT, Nrf2KO1.3, and Nrf2KO2.2. Auranofin (AFN) (0.5 µM) inhibited TXNRD1 activity by 50% and increased Nqo1 and Hmox1 mRNA levels by 6- and 24-fold, respectively, in WT cells. Despite similar levels of TXNRD1 inhibition, Nqo1 mRNA levels were not different between control and AFN-treated Nrf2KO1.3 and Nrf2KO2.2. AFN slightly increased Hmox1 mRNA levels in Nrf2KO1.3 and Nrf2KO2.2 cells compared with controls. AFN failed to increase HO-1 protein in Nrf2KO1.3 and Nrf2KO2.2 compared with a 36-fold increase in WT mtCCs. Our data indicate that Nrf2 is the primary mechanism by which TXNRD1 inhibitors increase HO-1 in lung epithelia. Future studies will use ARDS and BPD models to define the role of HO-1 in attenuation of lung injury by TXNRD1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn Dunigan
- Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Qian Li
- Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Rui Li
- Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Morgan L Locy
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Stephanie Wall
- Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Trent E Tipple
- Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama
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Qu J, Zhu L, Zhou Z, Chen P, Liu S, Locy ML, Thannickal VJ, Zhou Y. Reversing Mechanoinductive DSP Expression by CRISPR/dCas9-mediated Epigenome Editing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2018; 198:599-609. [PMID: 29924937 PMCID: PMC6118013 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201711-2242oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE DSP (desmoplakin), the most abundant component of desmosomes, which maintain the mechanical integrity of epithelium, is a genome-wide association study-identified genetic risk locus in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Subjects with IPF express a significantly higher level of DSP than control subjects. OBJECTIVES Determine potential mechanisms by which DSP is regulated in lung fibrosis. METHODS Matrigel-coated soft and stiff polyacrylamide gels were made to simulate the stiffness of normal and fibrotic lungs. Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay were used to evaluate transcription factor binding to the DSP promoter. Targeted DNA methylation was achieved by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/dCas9 (deactivated CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease)-mediated Dnmt3A (DNA methyltransferase 3A) expression under the guidance of sequence-specific single guide RNAs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Stiff matrix promotes DSP gene expression in both human and rodent lung epithelial cells as compared with soft matrix. A conserved region in the proximal DSP promoter is hypermethylated under soft matrix conditions and becomes hypomethylated/demethylated under stiff matrix conditions. Demethylation of this conserved DSP promoter region is associated with transactivation of transcription factor EGR1 (early growth response protein 1), resulting in EGR1-dependent DSP overexpression. Targeted DNA methylation by CRISPR/dCas9/Dnmt3A-mediated epigenome editing blocks EGR1 binding to the DSP promoter and inhibits stiff matrix-induced DSP overexpression. CONCLUSIONS DSP is a matrix stiffness-regulated mechanosensitive gene. CRISPR/dCas9-Dnmt3A-mediated epigenome editing reverses DSP overexpression by reestablishment of the epigenetic control of DSP under the mechanically homeostatic environment. It provides a useful tool for investigations of the functional role of DSP in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Qu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Lanyan Zhu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; and
| | - Zijing Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; and
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; and
| | - Shuyan Liu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Morgan L. Locy
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Victor J. Thannickal
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Rangarajan S, Bone NB, Zmijewska AA, Jiang S, Park DW, Bernard K, Locy ML, Ravi S, Deshane J, Mannon RB, Abraham E, Darley-Usmar V, Thannickal VJ, Zmijewski JW. Metformin reverses established lung fibrosis in a bleomycin model. Nat Med 2018; 24:1121-1127. [PMID: 29967351 PMCID: PMC6081262 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0087-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is a pathological result of a dysfunctional repair response to tissue injury and occurs in a number of organs, including the lungs1. Cellular metabolism regulates tissue repair and remodelling responses to injury2-4. AMPK is a critical sensor of cellular bioenergetics and controls the switch from anabolic to catabolic metabolism5. However, the role of AMPK in fibrosis is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that in humans with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and in an experimental mouse model of lung fibrosis, AMPK activity is lower in fibrotic regions associated with metabolically active and apoptosis-resistant myofibroblasts. Pharmacological activation of AMPK in myofibroblasts from lungs of humans with IPF display lower fibrotic activity, along with enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and normalization of sensitivity to apoptosis. In a bleomycin model of lung fibrosis in mice, metformin therapeutically accelerates the resolution of well-established fibrosis in an AMPK-dependent manner. These studies implicate deficient AMPK activation in non-resolving, pathologic fibrotic processes, and support a role for metformin (or other AMPK activators) to reverse established fibrosis by facilitating deactivation and apoptosis of myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunad Rangarajan
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Nathaniel B Bone
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Anna A Zmijewska
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Shaoning Jiang
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Dae Won Park
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, South Korea
| | - Karen Bernard
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Saranya Ravi
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jessy Deshane
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Roslyn B Mannon
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Edward Abraham
- Office of the Dean, School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Victor Darley-Usmar
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Jaroslaw W Zmijewski
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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11
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O'Reilly PJ, Ding Q, Akthar S, Cai G, Genschmer KR, Patel DF, Jackson PL, Viera L, Roda M, Locy ML, Bernstein EA, Lloyd CM, Bernstein KE, Snelgrove RJ, Blalock JE. Angiotensin-converting enzyme defines matrikine-regulated inflammation and fibrosis. JCI Insight 2017; 2:91923. [PMID: 29202450 PMCID: PMC5752376 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.91923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The neutrophil chemoattractant proline-glycine-proline (PGP) is generated from collagen by matrix metalloproteinase-8/9 (MMP-8/9) and prolyl endopeptidase (PE), and it is concomitantly degraded by extracellular leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) to limit neutrophilia. Components of cigarette smoke can acetylate PGP, yielding a species (AcPGP) that is resistant to LTA4H-mediated degradation and can, thus, support a sustained neutrophilia. In this study, we sought to elucidate if an antiinflammatory system existed to degrade AcPGP that is analogous to the PGP-LTA4H axis. We demonstrate that AcPGP is degraded through a previously unidentified action of the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Pulmonary ACE is elevated during episodes of acute inflammation, as a consequence of enhanced vascular permeability, to ensure the efficient degradation of AcPGP. Conversely, we suggest that this pathway is aberrant in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) enabling the accumulation of AcPGP. Consequently, we identify a potentially novel protective role for AcPGP in limiting pulmonary fibrosis and suggest the pathogenic function attributed to ACE in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to be a consequence of overzealous AcPGP degradation. Thus, AcPGP seemingly has very divergent roles: it is pathogenic in its capacity to drive neutrophilic inflammation and matrix degradation in the context of COPD, but it is protective in its capacity to limit fibrosis in IPF. ACE degrades the collagen-derived matrikine, acetylate proline–glycine–proline, to limit pulmonary inflammation and promote repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J O'Reilly
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Qiang Ding
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Samia Akthar
- Inflammation Repair and Development, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guoqiang Cai
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Kristopher R Genschmer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Dhiren F Patel
- Inflammation Repair and Development, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia L Jackson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Birmingham V.A. Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Liliana Viera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Mojtaba Roda
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Ellen A Bernstein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Clare M Lloyd
- Inflammation Repair and Development, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth E Bernstein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Robert J Snelgrove
- Inflammation Repair and Development, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J Edwin Blalock
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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12
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Li Q, Wall SB, Ren C, Velten M, Hill CL, Locy ML, Rogers LK, Tipple TE. Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition Attenuates Neonatal Hyperoxic Lung Injury and Enhances Nuclear Factor E2-Related Factor 2 Activation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2017; 55:419-28. [PMID: 27089175 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2015-0228oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen toxicity and antioxidant deficiencies contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Aurothioglucose (ATG) and auranofin potently inhibit thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), and TrxR1 disruption activates nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a regulator of endogenous antioxidant responses. We have shown previously that ATG safely and effectively prevents lung injury in adult murine models, likely via Nrf2-dependent mechanisms. The current studies tested the hypothesis that ATG would attenuate hyperoxia-induced lung developmental deficits in newborn mice. Newborn C3H/HeN mice were treated with a single dose of ATG or saline within 12 hours of birth and were exposed to either room air or hyperoxia (85% O2). In hyperoxia, ATG potently inhibited TrxR1 activity in newborn murine lungs, attenuated decreases in body weight, increased the transcription of Nrf2-regulated genes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase 1, and attenuated alterations in alveolar development. To determine the impact of TrxR1 inhibition on Nrf2 activation in vitro, murine alveolar epithelial-12 cells were treated with auranofin, which inhibited TrxR1 activity, enhanced Nrf2 nuclear levels, and increased NQO1 and heme oxygenase 1 transcription. Our novel data indicate that a single injection of the TrxR1 inhibitor ATG attenuates hyperoxia-induced alterations in alveolar development in newborn mice. Furthermore, our data support a model in which the effects of ATG treatment likely involve Nrf2 activation, which is consistent with our findings in other lung injury models. We conclude that TrxR1 represents a novel therapeutic target to prevent oxygen-mediated neonatal lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- 1 Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory.,2 Division of Neonatology, and
| | - Stephanie B Wall
- 1 Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory.,2 Division of Neonatology, and
| | | | - Markus Velten
- 3 Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University, University Medical Center, Bonn, Germany; and
| | - Cynthia L Hill
- 4 Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Morgan L Locy
- 5 Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Lynette K Rogers
- 4 Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Trent E Tipple
- 1 Neonatal Redox Biology Laboratory.,2 Division of Neonatology, and
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13
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Pennathur S, Vivekanandan-Giri A, Locy ML, Kulkarni T, Zhi D, Zeng L, Byun J, de Andrade JA, Thannickal VJ. Oxidative Modifications of Protein Tyrosyl Residues Are Increased in Plasma of Human Subjects with Interstitial Lung Disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016; 193:861-8. [PMID: 26575972 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201505-0992oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are associated with oxidative stress. Plasma biomarkers that are directly linked to oxidative stress responses in this disease have not been identified. Stable oxidation products of tyrosine residues in proteins may reflect the oxidative microenvironment in the lung or a systemic inflammatory state. OBJECTIVES To determine if levels of protein tyrosine oxidation are elevated in plasma of patients with ILD compared with an age- and sex-matched healthy control cohort. METHODS Three tyrosine oxidation products (3-chlorotyrosine, 3-nitrotyrosine, and o,o'-dityrosine) were quantified by tandem mass spectrometry in cellular models, a mouse model of injury-induced fibrosis, and in plasma of healthy control subjects and patients with ILD (n = 42 in each group). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Plasma levels of 3-chlorotyrosine, 3-nitrotyrosine, and o,o'-dityrosine were markedly elevated in patients with ILD compared with control subjects with receiver operating characteristic curves separating these groups of 0.872, 0.893, and 0.997, respectively. In a murine model of lung fibrosis, levels of all three oxidative tyrosine modifications were increased in plasma and lung tissue. Cellular models support a critical role for a heme peroxidase and enzymatic sources of reactive oxygen species in the generation of these oxidized products. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate an increase in oxidized tyrosine moieties within proteins in the circulating plasma of patients with ILD. These data support the potential for development of oxidative stress-related biomarkers in early diagnosis, prognostication, and/or in evaluating responsiveness to emerging therapies for ILD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramaniam Pennathur
- 1 Division of Nephrology.,Department of Internal Medicine, and 2 Computational Medicine and Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
| | | | - Morgan L Locy
- 3 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Tejaswini Kulkarni
- 3 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Degui Zhi
- 4 Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | | | | | - Joao A de Andrade
- 3 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- 3 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
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14
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Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an aging-associated, recalcitrant lung disease with historically limited therapeutic options. The recent approval of two drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014 has heralded a new era in its management. Both drugs have demonstrated efficacy in phase III clinical trials by retarding the rate of progression of IPF; neither drug appears to be able to completely arrest disease progression. Advances in the understanding of IPF pathobiology have led to an unprecedented expansion in the number of potential therapeutic targets. Drugs targeting several of these are under investigation in various stages of clinical development. Here, we provide a brief overview of the drugs that are currently approved and others in phase II clinical trials. Future therapeutic opportunities that target novel pathways, including some that are associated with the biology of aging, are examined. A multi-targeted approach, potentially with combination therapies, and identification of individual patients (or subsets of patients) who may respond more favourably to specific agents are likely to be more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunad Rangarajan
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd THT 422, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2180, USA
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd THT 422, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2180, USA
| | - Tracy R Luckhardt
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd THT 422, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2180, USA
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd THT 422, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2180, USA.
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15
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Kurundkar AR, Kurundkar D, Rangarajan S, Locy ML, Zhou Y, Liu RM, Zmijewski J, Thannickal VJ. The matricellular protein CCN1 enhances TGF-β1/SMAD3-dependent profibrotic signaling in fibroblasts and contributes to fibrogenic responses to lung injury. FASEB J 2016; 30:2135-50. [PMID: 26884454 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201500173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Matricellular proteins mediate pleiotropic effects during tissue injury and repair. CCN1 is a matricellular protein that has been implicated in angiogenesis, inflammation, and wound repair. In this study, we identified CCN1 as a gene that is differentially up-regulated in alveolar mesenchymal cells of human subjects with rapidly progressive idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Elevated levels of CCN1 mRNA were confirmed in lung tissues of IPF subjects undergoing lung transplantation, and CCN1 protein was predominantly localized to fibroblastic foci. CCN1 expression in ex vivo IPF lung fibroblasts correlated with gene expression of the extracellular matrix proteins, collagen (Col)1a1, Col1a2, and fibronectin as well as the myofibroblast marker, α-smooth muscle actin. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of CCN1 down-regulated the constitutive expression of these profibrotic genes in IPF fibroblasts. TGF-β1, a known mediator of tissue fibrogenesis, induces gene and protein expression of CCN1 via a mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3)-dependent mechanism. Importantly, endogenous CCN1 potentiates TGF-β1-induced SMAD3 activation and induction of profibrotic genes, supporting a positive feedback loop leading to myofibroblast activation. In vivo RNAi-mediated silencing of CCN1 attenuates fibrogenic responses to bleomycin-induced lung injury. These studies support previously unrecognized, cooperative interaction between the CCN1 matricellular protein and canonical TGF-β1/SMAD3 signaling that promotes lung fibrosis.-Kurundkar, A. R., Kurundkar, D., Rangarajan, S., Locy, M. L., Zhou, Y., Liu, R.-M., Zmijewski, J., Thannickal, V. J. The matricellular protein CCN1 enhances TGF-β1/SMAD3-dependent profibrotic signaling in fibroblasts and contributes to fibrogenic responses to lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish R Kurundkar
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Deepali Kurundkar
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sunad Rangarajan
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Rui-Ming Liu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jaroslaw Zmijewski
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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16
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Ravi S, Johnson MS, Chacko BK, Kramer PA, Sawada H, Locy ML, Wilson LS, Barnes S, Marques MB, Darley-Usmar VM. Modification of platelet proteins by 4-hydroxynonenal: Potential Mechanisms for inhibition of aggregation and metabolism. Free Radic Biol Med 2016; 91:143-53. [PMID: 26475426 PMCID: PMC4761519 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2015.10.408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Platelet aggregation is an essential response to tissue injury and is associated with activation of pro-oxidant enzymes, such as cyclooxygenase, and is also a highly energetic process. The two central energetic pathways in the cell, glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, are susceptible to damage by reactive lipid species. Interestingly, how platelet metabolism is affected by the oxidative stress associated with aggregation is largely unexplored. To address this issue, we examined the response of human platelets to 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a reactive lipid species which is generated during thrombus formation and during oxidative stress. Elevated plasma 4-HNE has been associated with renal failure, septic shock and cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. In this study, we found that 4-HNE decreased thrombin stimulated platelet aggregation by approximately 60%. The metabolomics analysis demonstrated that underlying our previous observation of a stimulation of platelet energetics by thrombin glycolysis and TCA (Tricarboxylic acid) metabolites were increased. Next, we assessed the effect of both 4-HNE and alkyne HNE (A-HNE) on bioenergetics and targeted metabolomics, and found a stimulatory effect on glycolysis, associated with inhibition of bioenergetic parameters. In the presence of HNE and thrombin glycolysis was further stimulated but the levels of the TCA metabolites were markedly suppressed. Identification of proteins modified by A-HNE followed by click chemistry and mass spectrometry revealed essential targets in platelet activation including proteins involved in metabolism, adhesion, cytoskeletal reorganization, aggregation, vesicular transport, protein folding, antioxidant proteins, and small GTPases. In summary, the biological effects of 4-HNE can be more effectively explained in platelets by the integrated effects of the modification of an electrophile responsive proteome rather than the isolated effects of candidate proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranya Ravi
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | - Michelle S Johnson
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | - Balu K Chacko
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | - Philip A Kramer
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | - Hirotaka Sawada
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | - Morgan L Locy
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology
| | | | - Stephen Barnes
- The Targeted Metabolomics and Proteomics Laboratory; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Victor M Darley-Usmar
- Department of Pathology; UAB Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory; Center for Free Radical Biology.
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17
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Britt RD, Velten M, Locy ML, Rogers LK, Tipple TE. The thioredoxin reductase-1 inhibitor aurothioglucose attenuates lung injury and improves survival in a murine model of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Antioxid Redox Signal 2014; 20:2681-91. [PMID: 24295151 PMCID: PMC4026403 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Inflammation and oxygen toxicity increase free radical production and contribute to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care patients. We have previously reported increased glutathione (GSH) levels in lung epithelial cells in vitro and attenuated adult murine hyperoxic lung injury in vivo after pharmacological thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) inhibition. Using a murine ARDS model, we tested the hypothesis that aurothioglucose (ATG) treatment increases pulmonary GSH levels, attenuates lung injury, and decreases mortality in a GSH-dependent manner. RESULTS Adult mice received a single intratracheal dose of 0.375 μg/g lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 12 h before a single intraperitoneal injection of 25 mg/kg ATG. Control mice received intratracheal and/or intraperitoneal saline. Mice were then exposed to room air or hyperoxia (>95% O2). Lung injury was assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentrations. Expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), GSH, cytokines, and chemokines was determined. Exposure to LPS/hyperoxia induced inflammation and lung injury. ATG treatment significantly attenuated lung injury, increased lung GCLM expression and GSH levels, and decreased mortality. GSH depletion completely prevented the protective effects of ATG in LPS/hyperoxia-exposed mice. INNOVATION ATG treatment significantly attenuates lung injury and enhances survival in a clinically relevant murine model of ARDS. The protective effects of ATG are GSH dependent. CONCLUSION Augmentation of GSH systems by TrxR1 inhibition could represent a promising therapeutic approach to attenuate oxidant-mediated lung injury and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney D Britt
- 1 Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
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18
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Chen B, Nelin VE, Locy ML, Jin Y, Tipple TE. Thioredoxin-1 mediates hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2013; 305:L389-95. [PMID: 23812635 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00432.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation contributes to pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertensive diseases associated with hypoxia. Both the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine kinase (Akt) pathways have been implicated in hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that is involved in redox-dependent signaling via HIF and PI3K-Akt in cancer. The role of Trx1 in PASMC proliferation has not been elucidated. The present studies tested the hypothesis that Trx1 regulates hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation via HIF and/or PI3K- and Akt-dependent mechanisms. Following exposure to chronic hypoxia, our data indicate that Trx1 activity is increased in adult murine lungs. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced increases in cellular proliferation are correlated with increased Trx1 expression, HIF activation, and Akt activation in cultured human PASMC. Both small-interfering RNA-mediated knockdown and pharmacological Trx1 inhibition attenuated hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation, HIF activation, and Akt activation. While Trx1 knockdown suppressed hypoxia-induced PI3K-Akt activation in PASMC, PI3K-Akt inhibition prevented hypoxia-induced proliferation but had no effect on hypoxia-induced increases in Trx1 or HIF activation. Thus, our findings indicate that Trx1 contributes to hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation by modulating HIF activation and subsequent PI3K-Akt activation. These novel data suggest that Trx1 might represent a novel therapeutic target to prevent hypoxic PASMC proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Chen
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
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19
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Locy ML, Rogers LK, Prigge JR, Schmidt EE, Arnér ESJ, Tipple TE. Thioredoxin reductase inhibition elicits Nrf2-mediated responses in Clara cells: implications for oxidant-induced lung injury. Antioxid Redox Signal 2012; 17:1407-16. [PMID: 22607006 PMCID: PMC3437047 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2011.4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Pulmonary oxygen toxicity contributes to lung injury in newborn and adult humans. We previously reported that thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1) inhibition with aurothioglucose (ATG) attenuates hyperoxic lung injury in adult mice. The present studies tested the hypothesis that TrxR1 inhibition protects against the effects of hyperoxia via nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent mechanisms. RESULTS Both pharmacologic and siRNA-mediated TrxR1 inhibition induced robust Nrf2 responses in murine-transformed Clara cells (mtCC). While TrxR1 inhibition did not alter the susceptibility of cells to the effects of hyperoxia, glutathione (GSH) depletion after TrxR1 inhibition markedly enhanced the hyperoxic susceptibility of cultured mtCCs. Finally, in vivo data revealed dose-dependent increases in the expression of the Nrf2 target gene NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the lungs of ATG-treated adult mice. INNOVATION TrxR1 inhibition activates Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses in mtCCs in vitro and in adult murine lungs in vivo, providing a plausible mechanism for the protective effects of TrxR1 inhibition in vivo. CONCLUSION GSH-dependent enzyme systems in mtCCs may be of greater importance for protection against hyperoxic exposure than are TrxR-dependent systems. The induction of Nrf2 activation via TrxR1 inhibition represents a novel therapeutic strategy that attenuates oxidant-mediated lung injury. Similar expression levels of TrxR1 in newborn and adult mouse or human lungs broaden the potential clinical applicability of the present findings to both neonatal and adult oxidant lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L Locy
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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20
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Britt RD, Locy ML, Tipple TE, Nelin LD, Rogers LK. Lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in mouse transformed Clara cells. Cell Physiol Biochem 2012; 29:213-22. [PMID: 22415090 DOI: 10.1159/000337602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Exacerbation of innate immune responses can contribute to development of acute lung injury. Multiple cell populations, including the bronchiolar epithelium, coordinate these inflammatory responses. Clara cells, non-ciliated epithelial cells, are located in the distal airways in humans and conducting airways in mice. These cells actively participate in innate immune responses but their precise contributions remain poorly defined. METHODS To test the hypothesis that E. coli lipopolysaccaride (LPS) treatment stimulates production of pro-inflammatory mediators in mouse transformed Clara cells (MTCC), MTCC were treated with E. coli lipopolysaccaride (LPS). RESULTS LPS increased COX-2 expression and stimulated production of prostaglandins, including prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). Enhanced mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activation, and chemokine production were observed in MTCC in response to LPS treatment. CONCLUSIONS While the role for Clara cells in the regulation of host defense and the progression of acute lung injury needs further characterization, our data suggests the importance of this unique cell population in the pathogenesis of LPS-induced acute lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney D Britt
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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