Attenuation of expression of extracellular matrix genes with siRNAs to Sparc and Ctgf in skin fibroblasts of CTGF transgenic mice

Transgenic mice that over-express connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in fibroblasts under the control of an enhancer/promoter element of the Col1a2 gene (Col1a2-CTGF) recapitulate multiorgan fibrosis similar to fibrosis observed in Scleroderma (SSc). In this study we investigate the regulation of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (Sparc) and Ctgf siRNAs on the expression of several extracellular matrix components in the fibroblasts derived from Col1a2-CTGF transgenic mice. Three fibroblast lines were obtained from each of wide type C57BL/6 and CTGF transgenic C57BL/6, and were transfected with Sparc siRNA or Ctgf siRNA. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to examine the transcription and protein levels of type I collagen, CTGF and SPARC. Student's t-tests were used to determine the significance of the results. Our results showed that Col1a2 and Ctgf increased expression at both transcriptional and translational levels in the fibroblasts from the Col1a2-CTGF transgenic mice compared with those in the fibroblasts from their normal wild-type littermate. The treatment with Sparc siRNA or Ctgf siRNA attenuated the mRNA and/or protein expression of the Col1a2, Ctgf and Sparc in these fibroblasts. Sparc and Ctgf siRNAs also showed a reciprocal inhibition at transcript levels. Therefore, our results indicated that both SPARC and CTGF appeared to be involved in the same biological pathway, and they have the potential to serve as a therapeutic target for fibrotic diseases such as SSc.