scholarly journals Identification of the Molecular Basis of Anti-fibrotic Effects of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Activator Using the Human Lung Fibroblast Phosphoproteome

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunhwa Kim ◽  
Ashmita Saigal ◽  
Weilong Zhao ◽  
Peyvand Amini ◽  
Alex M. Tamburino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Human Lung Fibroblast ◽  
Clinical Benefits

AbstractIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible and progressive fibrotic lung disease. Advanced IPF patients often demonstrate pulmonary hypertension, which severely impairs patients’ quality of life. The critical physiological roles of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway have been well characterized in vasodilation and the corresponding therapies and pathway agonists have shown clinical benefits in treating hypertension. In recent years, many preclinical studies have demonstrated anti-fibrotic efficacy of sGC-cGMP activation in various experimental fibrosis models but the molecular basis of the efficacy in these models are not well understood. Also, sGC pathway agonism has demonstrated encouraging clinical benefits in advanced IPF patients (NCT00517933). Here, we have revealed the novel phosphorylation events downstream of sGC activation in human lung fibroblasts using phosphoproteomics. sGCact A, a potent and selective sGC activator, significantly attenuated more than 2,000 phosphorylation sites. About 20% of phosphorylation events, attenuated by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), a master regulator of fibrosis, were further dysregulated in the sGCact A co-treated lung fibroblasts. The overall magnitude and diversity of the sGCact A phosphoproteome was extensive. Further investigation would be required to understand how these newly identified changes facilitate human pulmonary fibrosis.

scholarly journals Targeted Delivery of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase (sGC) Activator Cinaciguat to Renal Mesangial Cells via Virus-Mimetic Nanoparticles Potentiates Anti-Fibrotic Effects by cGMP-Mediated Suppression of the TGF-β Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2557
Author(s):  
Daniel Fleischmann ◽  
Manuela Harloff ◽  
Sara Maslanka Figueroa ◽  
Jens Schlossmann ◽  
Achim Goepferich
Keyword(s):  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Targeted Delivery ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Mesangial Cells ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Severe Hypotension ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) ranks among the most detrimental long-term effects of diabetes, affecting more than 30% of all patients. Within the diseased kidney, intraglomerular mesangial cells play a key role in facilitating the pro-fibrotic turnover of extracellular matrix components and a progredient glomerular hyperproliferation. These pathological effects are in part caused by an impaired functionality of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and a consequentially reduced synthesis of anti-fibrotic messenger 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Bay 58-2667 (cinaciguat) is able to re-activate defective sGC; however, the drug suffers from poor bioavailability and its systemic administration is linked to adverse events such as severe hypotension, which can hamper the therapeutic effect. In this study, cinaciguat was therefore efficiently encapsulated into virus-mimetic nanoparticles (NPs) that are able to specifically target renal mesangial cells and therefore increase the intracellular drug accumulation. NP-assisted drug delivery thereby increased in vitro potency of cinaciguat-induced sGC stabilization and activation, as well as the related downstream signaling 4- to 5-fold. Additionally, administration of drug-loaded NPs provided a considerable suppression of the non-canonical transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway and the resulting pro-fibrotic remodeling by 50–100%, making the system a promising tool for a more refined therapy of DN and other related kidney pathologies.

ID: 116: ADNIBISTRATION OF SPHINGOSINE KINASE 1 INHIBITOR POST-BLEOMYCIN CHALLENGE ATTENUATES BLEOMYCIN-INDUCED PULMONARY FIBROSIS IN MICE: ROLE OF YAP1

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 966.2-966
Author(s):  
L Huang ◽  
V Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Sphingosine Kinase ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Sphingosine Kinase 1 ◽  
Human Lung Fibroblast

RationaleWe have earlier reported that sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) is up-regulated in lung tissues from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and SphK1/sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling axis plays a key role in bleomycin- and radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Further, SphK1 mRNA levels in PBMCs from IPF patients directly and significantly correlated with pulmonary function outcomes and overall survival. In this study, we investigated the effect of administration of PF-543, a specific SphK1 inhibitor, 7 days post-bleomycin (BLM) challenge on the development of pulmonary fibrosis in mice.ObjectivesTo determine the efficacy of PF-543 in attenuating pulmonary fibrosis in mice post BLM challenge.MethodsSphK1 inhibitor PF-543 (5 mg/kg body weight, i.p.; twice a week) was administered to control and BLM (1.5 U/kg, intratracheal) challenged mice on day 7 post BLM challenge, and development of pulmonary fibrosis was determined on day 21 by Mason-Trichrome staining of lung tissues, total collagen, fibronectin and α-SMA protein levels in lung tissues. In vitro, the effect of PF-543 on TGF-β (5 ng/ml) induced Yap1 activation, and differentiation, contraction, and proliferation of human lung fibroblast were assessed.ResultsAdministration of PF-543 to BLM treated mice on day 7 post challenge, dramatically inhibited BLM-induced lung injury, and attenuated collagen deposition and expression of fibronectin, α-SMA and TGF-β in lung tissues on day 21 post-BLM challenge. In vitro, PF-543 inhibited TGF-β induced differentiation, contraction and proliferation of human lung fibroblasts, as well as blocked TGF-β induced expression and nuclear translocation of YAP, a transcriptional co-factor involved in pulmonary fibrosis. Additionally, siRNA knockdown of YAP1 inhibited TGF-β induced fibroblast differentiation.ConclusionThese studies demonstrate ability of SphK1 inhibitor, PF-543 to ameliorate BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice when administered on day 7 after BLM challenge. Also, PF-543 blocked YAP1 activation, a co-transcriptional factor involved in pulmonary fibrosis development. Thus, PF-543 may serve as a potential therapeutic drug in treating pulmonary fibrosis. This work was supported by P01 HL098050 (VN).

scholarly journals Stimulation of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibits fibrosis by blocking non-canonical TGFβ signalling

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1408-1416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Beyer ◽  
Christoph Zenzmaier ◽  
Katrin Palumbo-Zerr ◽  
Rossella Mancuso ◽  
Alfiya Distler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Mode Of Action ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Simultaneous Treatment ◽  
Tgfβ Signalling

ObjectivesWe have previously described the antifibrotic role of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). The mode of action, however, remained elusive. In the present study, we describe a novel link between sGC signalling and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signalling that mediates the antifibrotic effects of the sGC.MethodsHuman fibroblasts and murine sGC knockout fibroblasts were treated with the sGC stimulator BAY 41-2272 or the stable cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) analogue 8-Bromo-cGMP and stimulated with TGFβ. sGC knockout fibroblasts were isolated from sGCIfl/fl mice, and recombination was induced by Cre-adenovirus. In vivo, we studied the antifibrotic effects of BAY 41-2272 in mice overexpressing a constitutively active TGF-β1 receptor.ResultssGC stimulation inhibited TGFβ-dependent fibroblast activation and collagen release. sGC knockout fibroblasts confirmed that the sGC is essential for the antifibrotic effects of BAY 41-2272. Furthermore, 8-Bromo-cGMP reduced TGFβ-dependent collagen release. While nuclear p-SMAD2 and 3 levels, SMAD reporter activity and transcription of classical TGFβ target genes remained unchanged, sGC stimulation blocked the phosphorylation of ERK. In vivo, sGC stimulation inhibited TGFβ-driven dermal fibrosis but did not change p-SMAD2 and 3 levels and TGFβ target gene expression, confirming that non-canonical TGFβ pathways mediate the antifibrotic sGC activity.ConclusionsWe elucidated the antifibrotic mode of action of the sGC that increases cGMP levels, blocks non-canonical TGFβ signalling and inhibits experimental fibrosis. Since sGC stimulators have shown excellent efficacy and tolerability in phase 3 clinical trials for pulmonary arterial hypertension, they may be further developed for the simultaneous treatment of fibrosis and vascular disease in systemic sclerosis.

Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulators and Activators: Where are We and Where to Go?

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 1544-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sijia Xiao ◽  
Qianbin Li ◽  
Liqing Hu ◽  
Zutao Yu ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Muscle Relaxation ◽  
Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Smooth Muscle Relaxation ◽  
Secondary Messenger ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Cgmp Pathway ◽  
Preclinical And Clinical Studies

Soluble Guanylate Cyclase (sGC) is the intracellular receptor of Nitric Oxide (NO). The activation of sGC results in the conversion of Guanosine Triphosphate (GTP) to the secondary messenger cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP). cGMP modulates a series of downstream cascades through activating a variety of effectors, such as Phosphodiesterase (PDE), Protein Kinase G (PKG) and Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Ion Channels (CNG). NO-sGC-cGMP pathway plays significant roles in various physiological processes, including platelet aggregation, smooth muscle relaxation and neurotransmitter delivery. With the approval of an sGC stimulator Riociguat for the treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), the enthusiasm in the discovery of sGC modulators continues for broad clinical applications. Notably, through activating the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway, sGC stimulator and activator potentiate for the treatment of various diseases, such as PAH, Heart Failure (HF), Diabetic Nephropathy (DN), Systemic Sclerosis (SS), fibrosis as well as other diseases including Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Central Nervous System (CNS) disease. Here, we review the preclinical and clinical studies of sGC stimulator and activator in recent years and prospect for the development of sGC modulators in the near future.

scholarly journals Current Modulation of Guanylate Cyclase Pathway Activity—Mechanism and Clinical Implications

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3418
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Grześk ◽  
Alicja Nowaczyk
Keyword(s):  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Natriuretic Peptides ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
First Line ◽  
Phosphodiesterase Type ◽  
Activity Mechanism

For years, guanylate cyclase seemed to be homogenic and tissue nonspecific enzyme; however, in the last few years, in light of preclinical and clinical trials, it became an interesting target for pharmacological intervention. There are several possible options leading to an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate concentrations. The first one is related to the uses of analogues of natriuretic peptides. The second is related to increasing levels of natriuretic peptides by the inhibition of degradation. The third leads to an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate concentration by the inhibition of its degradation by the inhibition of phosphodiesterase type 5. The last option involves increasing the concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate by the additional direct activation of soluble guanylate cyclase. Treatment based on the modulation of guanylate cyclase function is one of the most promising technologies in pharmacology. Pharmacological intervention is stable, effective and safe. Especially interesting is the role of stimulators and activators of soluble guanylate cyclase, which are able to increase the enzymatic activity to generate cyclic guanosine monophosphate independently of nitric oxide. Moreover, most of these agents are effective in chronic treatment in heart failure patients and pulmonary hypertension, and have potential to be a first line option.

scholarly journals Anti-Fibrosis Effects of Magnesium Lithospermate B in Experimental Pulmonary Fibrosis: By Inhibiting TGF-βRI/Smad Signaling

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1715
Author(s):  
Xin Luo ◽  
Qiangqiang Deng ◽  
Yaru Xue ◽  
Tianwei Zhang ◽  
Zhitao Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Salvia Miltiorrhiza ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
Epithelial Cell Line ◽  
Human Lung Fibroblast ◽  
Magnesium Lithospermate B

Pulmonary fibrosis is a severe and irreversible interstitial pulmonary disease with high mortality and few treatments. Magnesium lithospermate B (MLB) is a hydrosoluble component of Salvia miltiorrhiza and has been reported to have antifibrotic effects in other forms of tissue fibrosis. In this research, we studied the effects of MLB on pulmonary fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms. Our results indicated that MLB treatment (50 mg/kg) for seven days could attenuate bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis by reducing the alveolar structure disruption and collagen deposition in the C57 mouse model. MLB was also found to inhibit transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-stimulated myofibroblastic transdifferentiation of human lung fibroblast cell line (MRC-5) cells and collagen production by human type II alveolar epithelial cell line (A549) cells, mainly by decreasing the expression of TGF-β receptor I (TGF-βRI) and regulating the TGF-β/Smad pathway. Further studies confirmed that the molecular mechanisms of MLB in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice were similar to those observed in vitro. In summary, our results demonstrated that MLB could alleviate experimental pulmonary fibrosis both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that MLB has great potential for pulmonary fibrosis treatment.

scholarly journals Reconstruction of the miR-506-Quaking axis in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis using integrative multi-source bioinformatics

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan D. Stojanović ◽  
Maximilian Fuchs ◽  
Chunguang Liang ◽  
Kevin Schmidt ◽  
Ke Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Sequencing Analysis

AbstractThe family of RNA-binding proteins (RBP) functions as a crucial regulator of multiple biological processes and diseases. However, RBP function in the clinical setting of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is still unknown. We developed a practical in silico screening approach for the characterization of RBPs using multi-sources data information and comparative molecular network bioinformatics followed by wet-lab validation studies. Data mining of bulk RNA-Sequencing data of tissues of patients with IPF identified Quaking (QKI) as a significant downregulated RBP. Cell-type specific expression was confirmed by single-cell RNA-Sequencing analysis of IPF patient data. We systematically analyzed the molecular interaction network around QKI and its functional interplay with microRNAs (miRs) in human lung fibroblasts and discovered a novel regulatory miR-506-QKI axis contributing to the pathogenesis of IPF. The in silico results were validated by in-house experiments applying model systems of miR and lung biology. This study supports an understanding of the intrinsic molecular mechanisms of IPF regulated by the miR-506-QKI axis. Initially applied to human lung disease, the herein presented integrative in silico data mining approach can be adapted to other disease entities, underlining its practical relevance in RBP research.

scholarly journals Butyrate Prevents TGF-β1-Induced Alveolar Myofibroblast Differentiation and Modulates Energy Metabolism

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Hyo Yeong Lee ◽  
Somi Nam ◽  
Mi Jeong Kim ◽  
Su Jung Kim ◽  
Sung Hoon Back ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Metabolism ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Myofibroblast Differentiation ◽  
Pulmonary Fibroblasts ◽  
Matrix Deposition ◽  
Tgf Β1

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious lung disease characterized by excessive collagen matrix deposition and extracellular remodeling. Signaling pathways mediated by fibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) make important contributions to pulmonary fibrosis, but it remains unclear how TGF-β1 alters metabolism and modulates the activation and differentiation of pulmonary fibroblasts. We found that TGF-β1 lowers NADH and NADH/NAD levels, possibly due to changes in the TCA cycle, resulting in reductions in the ATP level and oxidative phosphorylation in pulmonary fibroblasts. In addition, we showed that butyrate (C4), a short chain fatty acid (SCFA), exhibits potent antifibrotic activity by inhibiting expression of fibrosis markers. Butyrate treatment inhibited mitochondrial elongation in TGF-β1-treated lung fibroblasts and increased the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Consistent with the mitochondrial observations, butyrate significantly increased ADP, ATP, NADH, and NADH/NAD levels in TGF-β1-treated pulmonary fibroblasts. Collectively, our findings indicate that TGF-β1 induces changes in mitochondrial dynamics and energy metabolism during myofibroblast differentiation, and that these changes can be modulated by butyrate, which enhances mitochondrial function.

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