Discordant regulatory changes in monocrotaline-induced megalocytosis of lung arterial endothelial and alveolar epithelial cells

2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (6) ◽  
pp. L1216-L1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Pravin B. Sehgal

Monocrotaline (MCT) causes pulmonary hypertension in the rat by a mechanism characterized by megalocytosis (enlarged cells with enlarged endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi and a cell cycle arrest) of pulmonary arterial endothelial (PAEC), arterial smooth muscle, and type II alveolar epithelial cells. In cell culture, although megalocytosis is associated with a block in entry into mitosis in both lung endothelial and epithelial cells, DNA synthesis is stimulated in endothelial but inhibited in epithelial cells. The molecular mechanism(s) for this dichotomy are unclear. While MCTP-treated PAEC and lung epithelial (A549) cells both showed an increase in the “promitogenic” transcription factor STAT3 levels and in the IL-6-induced nuclear pool of PY-STAT3, this was transcriptionally inactive in A549 but not in PAEC cells. This lack of transcriptional activity of STAT3 in A549 cells correlated with the cytoplasmic sequestration of the STAT3 coactivators CBP/p300 and SRC1/NcoA in A549 cells but not in PAEC. Both cell types displayed a Golgi trafficking block, loss of caveolin-1 rafts, and increased nuclear Ire1α, but an incomplete unfolded protein response (UPR) with little change in levels of UPR-induced chaperones including GRP78/BiP. There were discordant alterations in cell cycle regulatory proteins in the two cell types such as increase in levels of both cyclin D1 and p21 simultaneously, but with a decrease in cdc2/cdk1, a kinase required for entry into mitosis. While both cell types showed increased cytoplasmic geminin, the DNA synthesis-initiating protein Cdt1 was predominantly nuclear in PAEC but remained cytoplasmic in A549 cells, consistent with the stimulation of DNA synthesis in the former but an inhibition in the latter cell type. Thus differences in cell type-specific alterations in subcellular trafficking of critical regulatory molecules (such as CBP/p300, SRC1/NcoA, Cdt1) likely account for the dichotomy of the effects of MCTP on DNA synthesis in endothelial and epithelial cells.

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (4) ◽  
pp. L797-L806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heimo Mairbäurl ◽  
Ralf Wodopia ◽  
Sigrid Eckes ◽  
Susanne Schulz ◽  
Peter Bärtsch

A reduced cation reabsorption across the alveolar epithelium decreases water reabsorption from the alveoli and could diminish clearing accumulated fluid. To test whether hypoxia restricts cation transport in alveolar epithelial cells, cation uptake was measured in rat lung alveolar type II pneumocytes (AII cells) in primary culture and in A549 cells exposed to normoxia and hypoxia. In AII and A549 cells, hypoxia caused a[Formula: see text]-dependent inhibition of the Na-K pump, of Na-K-2Cl cotransport, and of total and amiloride-sensitive22Na uptake. Nifedipine failed to prevent hypoxia-induced transport inhibition in both cell types. In A549 cells, the inhibition of the Na-K pump and Na-K-2Cl cotransport occurred within ∼30 min of hypoxia, was stable >20 h, and was reversed by 2 h of reoxygenation. There was also a reduction in cell membrane-associated Na-K-ATPase and a decrease in Na-K-2Cl cotransport flux after full activation with calyculin A, indicating a decreased transport capacity. [14C]serine incorporation into cell proteins was reduced in hypoxic A549 cells, but inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide did not reduce ion transport. In AII and A549 cells, ATP levels decreased slightly, and ADP and the ATP-to-ADP ratio were unchanged after 4 h of hypoxia. In A549 cells, lactate, intracellular Na, and intracellular K were unchanged. These results indicate that hypoxia inhibits apical Na entry pathways and the basolateral Na-K pump in A549 cells and rat AII pneumocytes in culture, indicating a hypoxia-induced reduction of transepithelial Na transport and water reabsorption by alveolar epithelium. If similar changes occur in vivo, the impaired cation transport across alveolar epithelial cells might contribute to the formation of hypoxic pulmonary edema.


2013 ◽  
Vol 305 (1) ◽  
pp. L33-L41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce D. Uhal ◽  
Hang Nguyen ◽  
MyTrang Dang ◽  
Indiwari Gopallawa ◽  
Jing Jiang ◽  
...  

Earlier work showed that apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) in response to endogenous or xenobiotic factors is regulated by autocrine generation of angiotensin (ANG) II and its counterregulatory peptide ANG1–7. Mutations in surfactant protein C (SP-C) induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in AECs and cause lung fibrosis. This study tested the hypothesis that ER stress-induced apoptosis of AECs might also be regulated by the autocrine ANGII/ANG1–7 system of AECs. ER stress was induced in A549 cells or primary cultures of human AECs with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 or the SP-C BRICHOS domain mutant G100S. ER stress activated the ANGII-generating enzyme cathepsin D and simultaneously decreased the ANGII-degrading enzyme ACE-2, which normally generates the antiapoptotic peptide ANG1–7. TAPI-2, an inhibitor of ADAM17/TACE, significantly reduced both the activation of cathepsin D and the loss of ACE-2. Apoptosis of AECs induced by ER stress was measured by assays of mitochondrial function, JNK activation, caspase activation, and nuclear fragmentation. Apoptosis induced by either MG132 or the SP-C BRICHOS mutant G100S was significantly inhibited by the ANG receptor blocker saralasin and was completely abrogated by ANG1–7. Inhibition by ANG1–7 was blocked by the specific mas antagonist A779. These data show that ER stress-induced apoptosis is mediated by the autocrine ANGII/ANG1–7 system in human AECs and demonstrate effective blockade of SP-C mutation-induced apoptosis by ANG1–7. They also suggest that therapeutic strategies aimed at administering ANG1–7 or stimulating ACE-2 may hold potential for the management of ER stress-induced fibrotic lung disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Dragan ◽  
Richard C. Kurten ◽  
Daniel E. Voth

ABSTRACTHuman Q fever is caused by the intracellular bacterial pathogenCoxiella burnetii. Q fever presents with acute flu-like and pulmonary symptoms or can progress to chronic, severe endocarditis. After human inhalation,C. burnetiiis engulfed by alveolar macrophages and transits through the phagolysosomal maturation pathway, resisting the acidic pH of lysosomes to form a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in which to replicate. Previous studies showed thatC. burnetiireplicates efficiently in primary human alveolar macrophages (hAMs) inex vivohuman lung tissue. AlthoughC. burnetiireplicates in most cell typesin vitro, the pathogen does not grow in non-hAM cells of human lung tissue. In this study, we investigated the interaction betweenC. burnetiiand other pulmonary cell types apart from the lung environment.C. burnetiiformed a prototypical PV and replicated efficiently in human pulmonary fibroblasts and in airway, but not alveolar, epithelial cells. Atypical PV expansion in alveolar epithelial cells was attributed in part to defective recruitment of autophagy-related proteins. Further assessment of theC. burnetiigrowth niche showed that macrophages mounted a robust interleukin 8 (IL-8), neutrophil-attracting response toC. burnetiiand ultimately shifted to an M2-polarized phenotype characteristic of anti-inflammatory macrophages. Considering our findings together, this study provides further clarity on the uniqueC. burnetii-lung dynamic during early stages of human acute Q fever.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1531-1531
Author(s):  
Suyeon Oh ◽  
Young-Hee Kang

Abstract Objectives Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease in which lung tissues become fibrous and causes severe respiratory disturbances. Various stimuli induce infiltration of macrophages to the respiratory tract. These macrophages secrete various inflammatory cytokines leading to development of pulmonary fibrosis via epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Aesculetin, a major component of Sancho tree and Chicory, is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the vascular and immune system. Methods Human alveolar basal epithelial A549 cells were cultured in conditioned media of THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages for 24 h. Aesculetin at the concentrations of 1–20 μM did not show cytotoxicity of A549 cells. Alveolar epithelial cells were incubated with interleukin (IL)-8. Western blotting examined EMT-associated fibrotic proteins from A549 cell lysates. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was measured with gelatin zymography. In addition, inflammation- and fibrosis-related cytokines were measured by using ELISA kits. Results The epithelial markers of E-cadherin and ZO-1 were reduced in cells exposed to macrophage-conditioned media containing IL-8 and TNF-α. Macrophage-conditioned media enhanced expression of the mesenchymal fibrotic markers of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), vimentin and fibronectin, and the fibrotic proteins of collagen I and collagen IV were enhanced. However, ≥10 μM aesculetin reciprocally manipulated the expression levels of these proteins of A549 cells. In addition, macrophage-conditioned media enhanced the expression and activity of MT1-MMP, MMP-2 and MMP-9. In contrast, the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were reduced by exposure of alveolar cells to conditioned media. Proinflammatory and chemotactic IL-8 reduced E-cadherin and conversely enhanced N-cadherin and α-SMA in A549 cells, which was reciprocally modulated by ≥ 10 μM aesculetin. These results demonstrate that aesculetin may ameliorate EMT-associated pulmonary fibrosis caused by contact of blood-derived macrophages and alveolar cells. Conclusions Aesculetin maybe a promising agent treating progressive pulmonary disorders owing to macrophage-mediated inflammation. Funding Sources No funding sources to report.


1998 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
IA Forsyth ◽  
JA Taylor ◽  
CD Moorby

Amphiregulin is a heparin-binding member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, which we have recently shown to be expressed in sheep mammary gland. Uniquely among known EGF-like growth factors, its mitogenic activity is inhibited by soluble heparin, but heparin-like molecules on the cell surface and/or in extracellular matrix appear to be necessary for amphiregulin to exert its biological effect. In primary cultures of sheep mammary alveolar epithelial cells, heparin (1-20 mg/l) inhibited DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. The extent of the inhibition was influenced by physiological state, being greater (P < 0.05) in mammary cell cultures derived from 5- to 10-week pregnant sheep (63.1 +/- 8.2%, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 8) than in cultures derived from sheep which were non-pregnant (35.8 +/- 8.3% inhibition, n = 6) or late, 20-week, pregnant (39.8 +/- 5.6%, n = 6). Both EGF and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) significantly (P < 0.001) increased DNA synthesis in the presence of heparin. The effect of TGF-alpha was dose-related, wholly reversing the inhibitory effect of heparin in cell cultures from non-pregnant and 20-week pregnant sheep. DNA synthesis was stimulated by amphiregulin and TGF-alpha increased the maximum response. The heparin antagonist, hexadimethrine, inhibited DNA synthesis, but, in the presence of amphiregulin, approximately equivalent concentrations of heparin overcame this inhibitory effect. In the presence of heparin, TGF-alpha showed synergistic interactions with insulin or IGF-I. The results indicate interactive effects of EGF and IGF growth factor families in sheep mammary growth.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Jäger ◽  
Benjamin Seeliger ◽  
Oliver Terwolbeck ◽  
Gregor Warnecke ◽  
Tobias Welte ◽  
...  

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentlessly progressive disease harboring significant morbidity and mortality despite recent advances in therapy. Regardless of disease severity acute exacerbations (IPF-AEs) may occur leading to considerable loss of function and are the leading cause of death in IPF. Histologic features of IPF-AE are very similar to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. We investigated the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in IPF and IPF-AE. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells were sampled from patients with IPF (n = 32), IPF-AE (n = 10), ARDS (n = 7) and healthy volunteers (HV, n = 37) and the NLRP3-inflammasome was stimulated in-vitro. We found the NLRP3 inflammasome to be hyper-inducible in IPF compared to HV with increased IL-1ß and pro-IL-1ß levels on ELISA upon stimulation as well as increased caspase-1 activity measured by caspase-1p20 immunoblotting. In IPF-AE, IL-1ß was massively elevated to an extent similar to ARDS. To evaluate potential mechanisms, we co-cultured BAL cells with radiated A549 cells (a model to simulate apoptotic alveolar epithelial cells), which led to increased NLRP3 mRNA expression and increased caspase-1 dependent IL-1ß production. In the presence of a reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor (diphenyleneiodonium) and a cathepsin B inhibitor (E64D), NLRP3 expression was suppressed indicating that induction of NLRP3 activation following efferocytosis of apoptotic A549 cells is mediated via ROS and cathepsin-B. In summary, we present evidence of involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome-caspase pathway in the pathogenesis of IPF-AE, similarly to ARDS, which may be mediated by efferocytosis of apoptotic alveolar epithelial cells in IPF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11152
Author(s):  
Kai-Wei Chang ◽  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
Shih-Chao Lin ◽  
Yu-Chao Lin ◽  
Chia-Hsiang Li ◽  
...  

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by fibrotic change in alveolar epithelial cells and leads to the irreversible deterioration of pulmonary function. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in type 2 lung epithelial cells contributes to excessive collagen deposition and plays an important role in IPF. Atractylodin (ATL) is a kind of herbal medicine that has been proven to protect intestinal inflammation and attenuate acute lung injury. Our study aimed to determine whether EMT played a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis and whether EMT can be utilized as a therapeutic target by ATL treatment to mitigate IPF. To address this topic, we took two steps to investigate: 1. Utilization of anin vitro EMT model by treating alveolar epithelial cells (A549 cells) with TGF-β1 followed by ATL treatment for elucidating the underlying pathways, including Smad2/3 hyperphosphorylation, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway overexpression, Snail and Slug upregulation, and loss of E-cadherin. Utilization of an in vivo lung injury model by treating bleomycin on mice followed by ATL treatment to demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness, such as, less collagen deposition and lower E-cadherin expression. In conclusion, ATL attenuates TGF-β1-induced EMT in A549 cells and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2144
Author(s):  
Hani Z. Asfour ◽  
Usama A. Fahmy ◽  
Waleed S. Alharbi ◽  
Alshaimaa M. Almehmady ◽  
Abdulmohsin J. Alamoudi ◽  
...  

Lung cancer is a dangerous type of cancer in men and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in women, behind breast and colorectal cancers. Thymoquinone (THQ), a main compound in black seed essential oils, has a variety of beneficial effects, including antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. On the other hand, scorpion venom peptides (SV) induce apoptosis in the cancer cells, making it a promising anticancer agent. THQ, SV, and Phospholipon® 90H (PL) were incorporated in a nano-based delivery platform to assess THQ’s cellular uptake and antiproliferative efficacy against a lung cancer cell line derived from human alveolar epithelial cells (A549). Several nanovesicles were prepared and optimized using factorial experimental design. The optimized phytosome formulation contained 79.0 mg of PL and 170.0 mg of SV, with vesicle size and zeta potential of 209.9 nm and 21.1 mV, respectively. The IC50 values revealed that A549 cells were significantly more sensitive to the THQ formula than the plain formula and THQ. Cell cycle analysis revealed that THQ formula treatment resulted in significant cell cycle arrest at the S phase, increasing cell population in this phase by 22.1%. Furthermore, the THQ formula greatly increased cell apoptosis (25.17%) when compared to the untreated control (1.76%), plain formula (11.96%), or THQ alone (13.18%). The results also indicated that treatment with THQ formula significantly increased caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, and p53 mRNA expression compared to plain formula and THQ. In terms of the inflammatory markers, THQ formula significantly reduced the activity of TNF-α and NF-κB in comparison with the plain formula and THQ only. Overall, the findings from the study proved that a phytosome formulation of THQ could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivanthan Shanthikumar ◽  
Melanie R. Neeland ◽  
Richard Saffery ◽  
Sarath C. Ranganathan ◽  
Alicia Oshlack ◽  
...  

In epigenome-wide association studies analysing DNA methylation from samples containing multiple cell types, it is essential to adjust the analysis for cell type composition. One well established strategy for achieving this is reference-based cell type deconvolution, which relies on knowledge of the DNA methylation profiles of purified constituent cell types. These are then used to estimate the cell type proportions of each sample, which can then be incorporated to adjust the association analysis. Bronchoalveolar lavage is commonly used to sample the lung in clinical practice and contains a mixture of different cell types that can vary in proportion across samples, affecting the overall methylation profile. A current barrier to the use of bronchoalveolar lavage in DNA methylation-based research is the lack of reference DNA methylation profiles for each of the constituent cell types, thus making reference-based cell composition estimation difficult. Herein, we use bronchoalveolar lavage samples collected from children with cystic fibrosis to define DNA methylation profiles for the four most common and clinically relevant cell types: alveolar macrophages, granulocytes, lymphocytes and alveolar epithelial cells. We then demonstrate the use of these methylation profiles in conjunction with an established reference-based methylation deconvolution method to estimate the cell type composition of two different tissue types; a publicly available dataset derived from artificial blood-based cell mixtures and further bronchoalveolar lavage samples. The reference DNA methylation profiles developed in this work can be used for future reference-based cell type composition estimation of bronchoalveolar lavage. This will facilitate the use of this tissue in studies examining the role of DNA methylation in lung health and disease.


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