scholarly journals Airway smooth muscle proliferation and inflammation in asthma

2018 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 1090-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan L. James ◽  
Peter B. Noble ◽  
Su-Ann Drew ◽  
Thais Mauad ◽  
Tony R. Bai ◽  
...  

In asthma, it is unclear if the airway smooth muscle cells proliferate more or are increased at the onset of asthma and remain stable. This study aimed to compare smooth muscle cell proliferation in individuals with and without asthma and correlate proliferation rates with cell size and number and with granulocytic airway inflammation. Postmortem airway sections were labeled with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and percent positive muscle cells calculated. On the same sections, smooth muscle cell size and number and the number of eosinophils and neutrophils were estimated and compared in cases of nonfatal ( n = 15) and fatal ( n = 15) asthma and control subjects ( n = 15). The %PCNA+ muscle cells was not significantly different in fatal (29.4 ± 7.7%, mean ± SD), nonfatal asthma (28.6 ± 8.3%), or control subjects (24.6 ± 6.7%) and not related to mean muscle cell size ( r = 0.09), number ( r = 0.36), thickness of the muscle layer ( r = 0.05), or eosinophil numbers ( r = 0.04) in the asthma cases. These data support the hypothesis that in asthma the increased thickness of the smooth muscle layer may be present before or at the onset of asthma and independent of concurrent granulocytic inflammation or exacerbation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY There is debate regarding the origins of the increased airway smooth muscle in asthma. It may be independent of inflammation or arise as a proliferative response to inflammation. The present study found no increase in the proportion of proliferating smooth muscle cells in asthma and no relation of proliferation to numbers of airway smooth muscle cells or inflammation. These results support a stable increase in smooth muscle in asthma that is independent of airway inflammation.

2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 1403-1409 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cogo ◽  
G. Napolitano ◽  
M. C. Michoud ◽  
D. Ramos Barbon ◽  
M. Ward ◽  
...  

Although it is well known that hypoxemia induces pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, due to the proliferation of both vascular smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, the effects of hypoxemia on airway smooth muscle cells are not well characterized. The present study was designed to assess the in vitro effects of hypoxia (1 or 3% O2) on rat airway smooth muscle cell growth and response to mitogens (PDGF and 5-HT). Cell growth was assessed by cell counting and cell cycle analysis. Compared with normoxia (21% O2), there was a 42.2% increase in the rate of proliferation of cells exposed to 3% O2 (72 h, P = 0.006), as well as an enhanced response to PDGF (13.9% increase; P = 0.023) and to 5-HT (17.2% increase; P = 0.039). Exposure to 1% O2 (72 h) decreased cell proliferation by 21.0% ( P = 0.017) and reduced the increase in cell proliferation induced by PGDF and 5-HT by 16.2 and 15.7%, respectively ( P = 0.019 and P = 0.011). A significant inhibition in hypoxia-induced cell proliferation was observed after the administration of bisindolylmaleimide GF-109203X (a specific PKC inhibitor) or downregulation of PKC with PMA. Pretreatment with GF-109203X decreased proliferation by 21.5% ( P = 0.004) and PMA by 31.5% ( P = 0.005). These results show that hypoxia induces airway smooth muscle cell proliferation, which is at least partially dependent on PKC activation. They suggest that hypoxia could contribute to airway remodeling in patients suffering from chronic, severe respiratory diseases.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (6) ◽  
pp. L910-L917 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. N. Black ◽  
P. G. Young ◽  
S. J. Skinner

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is formed in the airways and may have a role in airway remodeling in asthma. We have studied the effects of TGF-beta on bovine airway smooth muscle cells (BASMC) in vitro. Thymidine incorporation by BASMC was inhibited after a 24-h incubation with TGF-beta 1. In contrast, thymidine incorporation by BASMC was stimulated (35.1 +/- 11.2%) after a 48-h incubation with 1 ng/ml TGF-beta 1. Cell number was also increased (25.9 +/- 7.6%) after a 72-h incubation with 3 ng/ml TGF-beta 1. TGF-beta 1 also increased cell size at 72 h, with a 24.3 +/- 6.2% increase in cell, diameter. Increases in BASMC size were accompanied by increased [3H]proline incorporation into cell protein. In cells from any individual animal, there was a strong inverse correlation (r = -0.97) between changes in cell number and cell size. In cells from some animals, the main effect of TGF-beta 1 was to promote an increase in cell number, whereas in others the predominant effect was cell hypertrophy. In contrast epidermal growth factor (EGF) led to an increase in thymidine incorporation and cell number in all preparations but did not increase cell size. TGF-beta 1 also promoted secretion of glycosaminoglycans into culture medium by BASMC with a preferential increase in hyaluronan secretion (4.5-fold) after 24 h. Latent TGF-beta (0.89 +/- 0.06 ng/ml) was also detected in conditioned medium from cultured BASMC, and TGF-beta 1 expression was demonstrated with RNA extracts from BASMC. Varying degrees of both smooth muscle cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia occur in asthma. These results obtained with airway smooth muscle cells indicate that TGF-beta could play a role in the structural changes seen in asthma.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Knobloch ◽  
David Jungck ◽  
Juliane Kronsbein ◽  
Erich Stoelben ◽  
Kazuhiro Ito ◽  
...  

Airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is partially insensitive/resistant to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). ICS plus bronchodilator therapy has been discussed for COPD phenotypes with frequent exacerbations and participation of corticosteroid-sensitive type 2/eosinophilic inflammation. Neutralization of non-type 2/IL-8-associated airway inflammation by reversion of its corticosteroid-resistance might be a future strategy for other phenotypes. Human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) produce corticosteroid-insensitive IL-8 in response to TNFα or LPS in stable disease stages or bacteria-induced exacerbations, respectively. p38-mitogen-activated-protein-kinases (p38MAPKs) are alternative therapeutic targets. Hypothesis: long-acting-β2-agonists (LABAs) reverse the corticosteroid-insensitivity of IL-8 by p38MAPK inhibition in HASMCs. Cultivated HASMCs from COPD subjects were pre-incubated with formoterol, salmeterol, fluticasone-propionate, BIRB796 (p38MAPKα, -γ, -δ inhibitor), and/or SB203580 (p38MAPKα and -β inhibitor) before stimulation with TNFα or LPS. IL-8 and MAPK-activities were measured by ELISA. Formoterol, salmeterol, and fluticasone did not or hardly reduced TNFα- or LPS-induced IL-8. BIRB796 and SB203580 reduced TNFα-induced IL-8. SB203580 reduced LPS-induced IL-8. Fluticasone/formoterol, fluticasone/salmeterol, and fluticasone/BIRB796, but not fluticasone/SB203580 combinations, reduced TNFα-induced IL-8 stronger than single treatments. All combinations including fluticasone/SB203580 reduced LPS-induced IL-8 stronger than single treatments. TNFα induced p38MAPKα and -γ activity. LPS induced p38MAPKα activity. Formoterol reduced TNFα-induced p38MAPKγ and LPS-induced p38MAPKα activity. LABAs reverse the corticosteroid-insensitivity of IL-8 in airway smooth muscles via p38MAPKγ in stable disease and via p38MAPKα in exacerbations. Our pre-clinical data indicate a utility for also adding ICS in non-type 2 inflammatory COPD phenotypes to bronchodilator therapy. Depending on phenotype and disease stage, isoform-specific p38MAPK blockers might also reverse corticosteroid-resistance in COPD.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (02) ◽  
pp. 291-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herm-Jan M Brinkman ◽  
Marijke F van Buul-Worteiboer ◽  
Jan A van Mourik

SummaryWe observed that the growth of human umbilical arterysmooth muscle cells was inhibited by the phospholipase A2 inhibitors p-bromophenacylbromide and mepacrine. Thesefindings suggest that fatty acid metabolism might be integrated in the control mechanism of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. To identify eicosanoids possibly involved in this process, we studied both the metabolism of arachidonic acid of these cells in more detail and the effect of certain arachidonic acid metabolites on smooth muscle cells growth. We found no evidence for the conversion of arachidonic acid via the lipoxygenase pathway. In contrast, arachidonic acid was rapidly converted via the cyclooxy-genase pathway. The following metabolites were identified: prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-k-PGF1α), prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (12-HHT) and 11-hydroxyeicosatetetraenoic acid (11-HETE). PGE2 was the major metabolite detected. Arachidonic acid metabolites were only found in the culture medium, not in the cell. After synthesis, 11-HETE was cleared from the culture medium. We have previously reported that PGE2 inhibits the serum-induced [3H]-thymidine incorporation of growth-arrested human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells. Here we show that also 11-HETEexerts this inhibitory property. Thus, our data suggeststhat human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells convert arachidonic acid only via the cyclooxygenase pathway. Certain metabolites produced by this pathway, including PGE2 and 11-HETE, may inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.


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