scholarly journals Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β Binding Protein-2 Regulates Lung Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Differentiation in Pulmonary Fibrosis via NF-κB Signaling

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menglin Zou ◽  
Jingfeng Zou ◽  
Xingxing Hu ◽  
Weishuai Zheng ◽  
Mingyang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Myofibroblast Differentiation

Despite past extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying pulmonary fibrosis (PF) still remain poorly understood. The aberrantly activated lung myofibroblasts, predominantly emerging through fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation, are considered to be the key cells in PF, resulting in excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Latent transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) binding protein-2 (LTBP2) has been suggested as playing a critical role in modulating the structural integrity of the ECM. However, its function in PF remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that lungs originating from different types of patients with PF, including idiopathic PF and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease, and from mice following bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF were characterized by increased LTBP2 expression in activated lung fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Moreover, serum LTBP2 was also elevated in patients with COVID-19-related PF. LTBP2 silencing by lentiviral shRNA transfection protected against BLM-induced PF and suppressed fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation in vivo and in vitro. More importantly, LTBP2 overexpression was able to induce differentiation of lung fibroblasts to myofibroblasts in vitro, even in the absence of TGFβ1. By further mechanistic analysis, we demonstrated that LTBP2 silencing prevented fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and subsequent PF by suppressing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB signaling. LTBP2 overexpression-induced fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation depended on the activation of NF-κB signaling in vitro. Therefore, our data indicate that intervention to silence LTBP2 may represent a promising therapy for PF.

scholarly journals Knockdown of Long Noncoding RNA H19 Represses the Progress of Pulmonary Fibrosis through the Transforming Growth Factor β/Smad3 Pathway by Regulating MicroRNA 140

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Wang ◽  
Zhe Cheng ◽  
Lingling Dai ◽  
Tianci Jiang ◽  
Liuqun Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Tgf Β1

ABSTRACT Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various human diseases. Recently, H19 was reported to be upregulated in fibrotic rat lung and play a stimulative role in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. However, its expression in human fibrotic lung tissues and mechanism of action remain unclear. Here, our observations showed that H19 expression was significantly upregulated and that of microRNA 140 (miR-140) was markedly reduced in pulmonary fibrotic tissues from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced HBE and A549 cells. Moreover, the expression of H19 was negatively correlated with the expression of miR-140 in IPF tissues. H19 knockdown attenuated TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis in vitro. Furthermore, animal experiments showed that H19 knockdown attenuated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. The study of molecular mechanisms showed that H19 functioned via reduction of miR-140 expression by binding to miR-140. The increase of miR-140 inhibited TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and H19 upregulation diminished the inhibitory effects of miR-140 on TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis, which was involved in the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway. Taken together, our findings showed that H19 knockdown attenuated pulmonary fibrosis via the regulatory network of lncRNA H19–miR-140–TGF-β/Smad3 signaling, and H19 and miR-140 might represent therapeutic targets and early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for patients with pulmonary fibrosis.

scholarly journals Mode of action of nintedanib in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1434-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutz Wollin ◽  
Eva Wex ◽  
Alexander Pautsch ◽  
Gisela Schnapp ◽  
Katrin E. Hostettler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Cell Injury ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cell ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and ultimately fatal disease characterised by fibrosis of the lung parenchyma and loss of lung function. Although the pathogenic pathways involved in IPF have not been fully elucidated, IPF is believed to be caused by repetitive alveolar epithelial cell injury and dysregulated repair, in which there is uncontrolled proliferation of lung fibroblasts and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, which excessively deposit extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the interstitial space. A number of profibrotic mediators including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and transforming growth factor-β are believed to play important roles in the pathogenesis of IPF. Nintedanib is a potent small molecule inhibitor of the receptor tyrosine kinases PDGF receptor, FGF receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor. Data from in vitro studies have shown that nintedanib interferes with processes active in fibrosis such as fibroblast proliferation, migration and differentiation, and the secretion of ECM. In addition, nintedanib has shown consistent anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activity in animal models of lung fibrosis. These data provide a strong rationale for the clinical efficacy of nintedanib in patients with IPF, which has recently been demonstrated in phase III clinical trials.

scholarly journals Toll-like receptor 4 activation attenuates profibrotic response in control lung fibroblasts but not in fibroblasts from patients with IPF

2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (1) ◽  
pp. L42-L55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Ebener ◽  
Sandra Barnowski ◽  
Carlos Wotzkow ◽  
Thomas M. Marti ◽  
Elena Lopez-Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Toll Like Receptor 4 ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Fibroblast Foci

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disease with a median survival of 3 yr. IPF deteriorates upon viral or bacterial lung infection although pulmonary infection (pneumonia) in healthy lungs rarely induces fibrosis. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), initiating proinflammatory pathways. As TLR4 has already been linked to hepatic fibrosis and scleroderma, we now investigated the role of TLR4 in IPF fibroblasts. Lung tissue sections from patients with IPF were analyzed for TLR4 expression. Isolated normal human lung fibroblasts (NL-FB) and IPF fibroblasts (IPF-FB) were exposed to LPS and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) before expression analysis of receptors, profibrotic mediators, and cytokines. TLR4 is expressed in fibroblast foci of IPF lungs as well as in primary NL-FB and IPF-FB. As a model for a gram-negative pneumonia in the nonfibrotic lung, NL-FB and IPF-FB were coexposed to LPS and TGF-β. Whereas NL-FB produced significantly less connective tissue growth factor upon costimulation compared with TGF-β stimulation alone, IPF-FB showed significantly increased profibrotic markers compared with control fibroblasts after costimulation. Although levels of antifibrotic prostaglandin E2 were elevated after costimulation, they were not responsible for this effect. However, significant downregulation of TGF-β receptor type 1 in control fibroblasts seems to contribute to the reduced profibrotic response in our in vitro model. Normal and IPF fibroblasts thus differ in their profibrotic response upon LPS-induced TLR4 stimulation.

scholarly journals Role of the Latent Transforming Growth Factor β-Binding Protein 1 in Fibrillin-Containing Microfibrils in Bone Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Dallas ◽  
Douglas R. Keene ◽  
Scott P. Bruder ◽  
Juha Saharinen ◽  
Lynn Y. Sakai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Bone Cells ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β

scholarly journals Protein tyrosine phosphatase-α amplifies transforming growth factor-β-dependent profibrotic signaling in lung fibroblasts

2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (2) ◽  
pp. L294-L311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Aschner ◽  
Meghan Nelson ◽  
Matthew Brenner ◽  
Helen Roybal ◽  
Keriann Beke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Wild Type

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, often fatal, fibrosing lung disease for which treatment remains suboptimal. Fibrogenic cytokines, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), are central to its pathogenesis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-α (PTPα) has emerged as a key regulator of fibrogenic signaling in fibroblasts. We have reported that mice globally deficient in PTPα ( Ptpra−/−) were protected from experimental pulmonary fibrosis, in part via alterations in TGF-β signaling. The goal of this study was to determine the lung cell types and mechanisms by which PTPα controls fibrogenic pathways and whether these pathways are relevant to human disease. Immunohistochemical analysis of lungs from patients with IPF revealed that PTPα was highly expressed by mesenchymal cells in fibroblastic foci and by airway and alveolar epithelial cells. To determine whether PTPα promotes profibrotic signaling pathways in lung fibroblasts and/or epithelial cells, we generated mice with conditional (floxed) Ptpra alleles ( Ptpraf/f). These mice were crossed with Dermo1-Cre or with Sftpc-CreERT2 mice to delete Ptpra in mesenchymal cells and alveolar type II cells, respectively. Dermo1-Cre/ Ptpraf/f mice were protected from bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, whereas Sftpc-CreERT2 /Ptpraf/f mice developed pulmonary fibrosis equivalent to controls. Both canonical and noncanonical TGF-β signaling and downstream TGF-β-induced fibrogenic responses were attenuated in isolated Ptpra−/− compared with wild-type fibroblasts. Furthermore, TGF-β-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of TGF-β type II receptor and of PTPα were attenuated in Ptpra−/− compared with wild-type fibroblasts. The phenotype of cells genetically deficient in PTPα was recapitulated with the use of a Src inhibitor. These findings suggest that PTPα amplifies profibrotic TGF-β-dependent pathway signaling in lung fibroblasts.

Profibrogenic phenotype in caveolin-1 deficiency via differential regulation of STAT-1/3 proteins

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 370-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan W. Ryter ◽  
Augustine M.K. Choi ◽  
Hong Pyo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Caveolin 1 ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Liver And Kidney

Fibrosis underlies the pathogenesis of several human diseases, which can lead to severe injury of vital organs. We previously demonstrated that caveolin-1 expression is reduced in experimental fibrosis and that caveolin-1 exerts antiproliferative and antifibrotic effects in lung fibrosis models. The signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins, STAT1 and STAT3, can be activated simultaneously. STAT1 can inhibit cell growth and promote apoptosis while STAT3 inhibits apoptosis. Here, we show that caveolin-1-deficient (cav-1−/−) lung fibroblasts display dramatically upregulated STAT3 activation in response to platelet-derived growth factor-BB and transforming growth factor-β stimuli, whereas STAT1 activation is undetectable. Downregulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B played a role in the preferential activation of STAT3 in cav-1−/− fibroblasts. Genetic deletion of STAT3 by siRNA modulated the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and fibrogenesis. Basal expression of α-smooth muscle actin was prominent in cav-1−/− liver and kidney, consistent with deposition of collagen in these organs. Collectively, we demonstrate that the antiproliferative and antifibrogenic properties of caveolin-1 in vitro are mediated by the balance between STAT1 and STAT3 activation. Deregulated STAT signaling associated with caveolin-1 deficiency may be relevant to proliferative disorders such as tissue fibrosis.

FGF9 and FGF18 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis promote survival and migration and inhibit myofibroblast differentiation of human lung fibroblasts in vitro

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (7) ◽  
pp. L615-L629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Joannes ◽  
Stéphanie Brayer ◽  
Valérie Besnard ◽  
Joëlle Marchal-Sommé ◽  
Madeleine Jaillet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Myofibroblast Differentiation ◽  
Human Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Fibroblast Foci

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by an accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins and fibroblasts in the distal airways. Key developmental lung signaling pathways are reactivated in IPF. For instance, fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) and FGF18, involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, are critical for lung development. We evaluated the expression of FGF9, FGF18, and FGF receptors (FGFRs) in lung tissue from controls and IPF patients and assessed their effect on proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation of control and IPF human lung fibroblasts (HLFs). FGF9, FGF18, and all FGFRs were present in the remodeled alveolar epithelium close to the fibroblast foci in IPF lungs. FGFR3 was generally detected in fibroblast foci by immunohistochemistry. In vitro, HLFs mainly expressed mesenchyme-associated FGFR isoforms (FGFR1c and FGFR3c) and FGFR4. FGF9 did not affect fibroblast proliferation, whereas FGF18 inhibited cell growth in control fibroblasts. FGF9 and FGF18 decreased Fas-ligand-induced apoptosis in control but not in IPF fibroblasts. FGF9 prevented transforming growth factor β1-induced myofibroblast differentiation. FGF9 and FGF18 increased the migratory capacities of HLF, and FGF9 actively modulated matrix metalloproteinase activity. In addition, FGFR3 inhibition by small interfering RNA impacted p-ERK activation by FGF9 and FGF18 and their effects on differentiation and migration. These results identify FGF9 as an antiapoptotic and promigratory growth factor on HLF, maintaining fibroblasts in an undifferentiated state. The biological effects of FGF9 and FGF18 were partially driven by FGFR3. FGF18 was a less potent molecule. Both growth factors likely contribute to the fibrotic process in vivo.

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