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Wu M, Wang Z, Shi X, Zan D, Chen H, Yang S, Ding F, Yang L, Tan P, Ma RZ, Wang J, Ma L, Ma Y, Jin J. TGFβ1-RCN3-TGFBR1 loop facilitates pulmonary fibrosis by orchestrating fibroblast activation. Respir Res 2023; 24:222. [PMID: 37710230 PMCID: PMC10500825 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02533-z] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) bears high mortality due to unclear pathogenesis and limited therapeutic options. Therefore, identifying novel regulators is required to develop alternative therapeutic strategies. METHODS The lung fibroblasts from IPF patients and Reticulocalbin 3 (RCN3) fibroblast-selective knockdown mouse model were used to determine the importance of Rcn3 in IPF; the epigenetic analysis and protein interaction assays, including BioID, were used for mechanistic studies. RESULTS Reticulocalbin 3 (RCN3) upregulation is associated with the fibrotic activation of lung fibroblasts from IPF patients and Rcn3 overexpression blunts the antifibrotic effects of pirfenidone and nintedanib. Moreover, repressing Rcn3 expression in mouse fibroblasts ameliorates bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis and pulmonary dysfunction in vivo. Mechanistically, RCN3 promotes fibroblast activation by maintaining persistent activation of TGFβ1 signalling via the TGFβ1-RCN3-TGFBR1 positive feedback loop, in which RCN3 upregulated by TGFβ1 exposure detains EZH2 (an epigenetic methyltransferase) in the cytoplasm through RCN3-EZH2 interaction, leading to the release of the EZH2-H3K27me3 epigenetic repression of TGFBR1 and the persistent expression of TGFBR1. CONCLUSIONS These findings introduce a novel regulating mechanism of TGFβ1 signalling in fibroblasts and uncover a critical role of the RCN3-mediated loop in lung fibrosis. RCN3 upregulation may cause resistance to IPF treatment and targeting RCN3 could be a novel approach to ameliorate pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingting Wu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenyan Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqian Shi
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Danni Zan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuqiao Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
| | - Fangping Ding
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8, Xi Tou Tiao, Youanmen Wai, Beijing, China
| | - Pingping Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Runlin Z Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China
| | - Lishuang Ma
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yingmin Ma
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8, Xi Tou Tiao, Youanmen Wai, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiawei Jin
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Jingxi Campus, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, China.
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Ding F, Yang L, Wang Y, Wang J, Ma Y, Jin J. Serum Rcn3 level is a potential diagnostic biomarker for connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease and reflects the severity of pulmonary function. BMC Pulm Med 2023; 23:68. [PMID: 36800954 PMCID: PMC9938976 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-023-02360-4] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although reticulocalbin 3 (Rcn3) has a critical role in alveolar epithelial function as well as in pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, no study has yet examined its diagnostic and prognostic values for interstitial lung disease (ILD). This study aimed to evaluate Rcn3 as a potential marker in differential diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) and in reflecting the severity of disease. METHODS This was a retrospective observational pilot study included 71 ILD patients and 39 healthy controls. These patients were stratified into IPF group (39) and CTD-ILD group (32). The severity of ILD was evaluated through pulmonary function test. RESULTS Serum Rcn3 level was statistically higher in CTD-ILD patients than that in IPF patients (p = 0.017) and healthy controls (p = 0.010). Serum Rcn3 further showed statistically negative correlation with pulmonary function indexes (TLC% pred and DLCO% pred) and positive correlation with inflammatory indexes (CRP and ESR) (r = - 0.367, p = 0.039; r = - 0.370, p = 0.037; r = 0.355, p = 0.046; r = 0.392, p = 0.026, respectively) in CTD-ILD patients rather than IPF patients. ROC analysis demonstrated that serum Rcn3 had superior diagnostic value for CTD-ILD and a cutoff value of 2.73 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 69%, a specificity of 69% and an accuracy of 45% for diagnose of CTD-ILD. CONCLUSIONS Serum Rcn3 levels might be a clinically useful biomarker in screening and evaluating CTD-ILD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangping Ding
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, N0.5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, 100043 China
| | - Liu Yang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.8 Xi Tou Tiao, Youanmen Wai, Beijing, 100069 China
| | - Yingfei Wang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.8 Xi Tou Tiao, Youanmen Wai, Beijing, 100069 China
| | - Jing Wang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, N0.5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, 100043 China ,grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XBeijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020 China
| | - Yingmin Ma
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.8 Xi Tou Tiao, Youanmen Wai, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Jiawei Jin
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, N0.5 Jingyuan Road, Beijing, 100043, China. .,The Clinical Research Center, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100043, China. .,Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China.
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