scholarly journals P2 Purinergic Signaling in the Distal Lung in Health and Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Wirsching ◽  
Michael Fauler ◽  
Giorgio Fois ◽  
Manfred Frick
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Purinergic Signaling ◽  
Pulmonary Inflammation ◽  
P2 Receptors ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Distal Lung

The distal lung provides an intricate structure for gas exchange in mammalian lungs. Efficient gas exchange depends on the functional integrity of lung alveoli. The cells in the alveolar tissue serve various functions to maintain alveolar structure, integrity and homeostasis. Alveolar epithelial cells secrete pulmonary surfactant, regulate the alveolar surface liquid (ASL) volume and, together with resident and infiltrating immune cells, provide a powerful host-defense system against a multitude of particles, microbes and toxicants. It is well established that all of these cells express purinergic P2 receptors and that purinergic signaling plays important roles in maintaining alveolar homeostasis. Therefore, it is not surprising that purinergic signaling also contributes to development and progression of severe pathological conditions like pulmonary inflammation, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Within this review we focus on the role of P2 purinergic signaling in the distal lung in health and disease. We recapitulate the expression of P2 receptors within the cells in the alveoli, the possible sources of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) within alveoli and the contribution of purinergic signaling to regulation of surfactant secretion, ASL volume and composition, as well as immune homeostasis. Finally, we summarize current knowledge of the role for P2 signaling in infectious pneumonia, ALI/ARDS and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Gene transfer of hepatocyte growth factor by electroporation reduces bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (2) ◽  
pp. L529-L536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amiq Gazdhar ◽  
Patrick Fachinger ◽  
Coretta van Leer ◽  
Jaroslaw Pierog ◽  
Mathias Gugger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Wound Repair ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Epithelial Repair ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

Abnormal alveolar wound repair contributes to the development of pulmonary fibrosis after lung injury. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogenic factor for alveolar epithelial cells and may therefore improve alveolar epithelial repair in vitro and in vivo. We hypothesized that HGF could increase alveolar epithelial repair in vitro and improve pulmonary fibrosis in vivo. Alveolar wound repair in vitro was determined using an epithelial wound repair model with HGF-transfected A549 alveolar epithelial cells. Electroporation-mediated, nonviral gene transfer of HGF in vivo was performed 7 days after bleomycin-induced lung injury in the rat. Alveolar epithelial repair in vitro was increased after transfection of wounded epithelial monolayers with a plasmid encoding human HGF, pCikhHGF [human HGF (hHGF) gene expressed from the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early promoter and enhancer] compared with medium control. Electroporation-mediated in vivo HGF gene transfer using pCikhHGF 7 days after intratracheal bleomycin reduced pulmonary fibrosis as assessed by histology and hydroxyproline determination 14 days after bleomycin compared with controls treated with the same vector not containing the HGF sequence (pCik). Lung epithelial cell proliferation was increased and apoptosis reduced in hHGF-treated lungs compared with controls, suggesting increased alveolar epithelial repair in vivo. In addition, profibrotic transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was decreased in hHGF-treated lungs, indicating an involvement of TGF-β1 in hHGF-induced reduction of lung fibrosis. In conclusion, electroporation-mediated gene transfer of hHGF decreases bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, possibly by increasing alveolar epithelial cell proliferation and reducing apoptosis, resulting in improved alveolar wound repair.

scholarly journals Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome and Lung Disease: Pathogenesis and Therapeutics

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Velázquez-Díaz ◽  
Erika Nakajima ◽  
Parand Sorkhdini ◽  
Ashley Hernandez-Gutierrez ◽  
Adam Eberle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Oculocutaneous Albinism ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Multisystem Disorder ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Molecular Approaches ◽  
Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) is a rare, genetic, multisystem disorder characterized by oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), bleeding diathesis, immunodeficiency, granulomatous colitis, and pulmonary fibrosis. HPS pulmonary fibrosis (HPS-PF) occurs in 100% of patients with subtype HPS-1 and has a similar presentation to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Upon onset, individuals with HPS-PF have approximately 3 years before experiencing signs of respiratory failure and eventual death. This review aims to summarize current research on HPS along with its associated pulmonary fibrosis and its implications for the development of novel treatments. We will discuss the genetic basis of the disease, its epidemiology, and current therapeutic and clinical management strategies. We continue to review the cellular processes leading to the development of HPS-PF in alveolar epithelial cells, lymphocytes, mast cells, and fibrocytes, along with the molecular mechanisms that contribute to its pathogenesis and may be targeted in the treatment of HPS-PF. Finally, we will discuss emerging new cellular and molecular approaches for studying HPS, including lentiviral-mediated gene transfer, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), organoid and 3D-modelling, and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing approaches.

scholarly journals P-Rex1 Cooperates With TGFβR2 to Drive Lung Fibroblast Migration in Pulmonary Fibrosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Liang ◽  
Yanhua Chang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Yan Yu ◽  
Wancheng Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Lung Fibroblast ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Mouse Lung ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Fibroblast Migration ◽  
Overexpression System ◽  
Tgf Β1

Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of interstitial lung disease with progressive pulmonary scar formation, leading to irreversible loss of lung functions. The TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway plays a key role in fibrogenic processes. It is associated with the increased synthesis of extracellular matrix, enhanced proliferation of fibroblasts, and transformation of alveolar epithelial cells into interstitial cells. We investigated P-Rex1, a PIP3-Gβγ–dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rac, for its potential role in TGF-β1–induced pulmonary fibrosis. A high expression level of P-Rex1 was identified in the lung tissue of patients with pulmonary fibrosis than that from healthy donors. Using the P-Rex1 knockdown and overexpression system, we established a novel player of P-Rex1 in mouse lung fibroblast migration. P-Rex1 contributed to fibrogenic processes in lung fibroblasts by targeting the TGF-β type Ⅱ receptor (TGFβR2). The RNA-seq analysis for expression profiling confirmed the modulation of P-Rex1 in cell migration and the involvement of P-Rex1 in TGF-β1 signaling. These results identified P-Rex1 as a signaling molecule involved in TGF-β1–induced pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting that P-Rex1 may be a potential target for pulmonary fibrosis treatment.

scholarly journals Protective Effect of Remdesivir Against Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohe Li ◽  
Rui Liu ◽  
Yunyao Cui ◽  
Jingjing Liang ◽  
Zhun Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Tgf Β1

Pulmonary fibrosis is a known sequela of severe or persistent lung damage. Existing clinical, imaging and autopsy studies have shown that the lungs exhibit a pathological pulmonary fibrosis phenotype after infection with coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Pulmonary fibrosis may be one of the most serious sequelae associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we aimed to examine the preventative effects of the antiviral drug remdesivir on pulmonary fibrosis. We used a mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis to evaluate the effects of remdesivir on pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and further explored the potential pharmacological mechanisms of remdesivir in lung fibroblasts and alveolar epithelial cells in vitro. The preventive remdesivir treatment was started on the day of bleomycin installation, and the results showed that remdesivir significantly alleviated bleomycin-induced collagen deposition and improved pulmonary function. In vitro experiments showed that remdesivir dose-dependently suppressed TGF-β1-induced lung fibroblast activation and improved TGF-β1-induced alveolar epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our results indicate that remdesivir can preventatively alleviate the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and provide some reference for the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis in patients with COVID-19.

M2 macrophages have unique transcriptomes but conditioned media does not promote profibrotic responses in lung fibroblasts or alveolar epithelial cells in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elissa M Hult ◽  
Stephen James Gurczynski ◽  
Bethany B Moore
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cell ◽  
Conditioned Media ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
M2 Macrophage ◽  
M2 Macrophages ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Fibroblast Migration

Macrophages are critical regulators of pulmonary fibrosis. Their plasticity, proximity, and ability to crosstalk with structural cells of the lung make them a key cell type of interest in the regulation of lung fibrosis. Macrophages can express a variety of phenotypes which have been historically represented through an "M1-like" to "M2-like" delineation. In this classification, M1-like macrophages are proinflammatory and have increased phagocytic capacity compared to alternatively activated M2-like macrophages that are profibrotic and are associated with wound healing. Extensive evidence in the field in both patients and animal models align pulmonary fibrosis with M2 macrophages. In this paper, we performed RNAseq to fully characterize M1 vs. M2-skewed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and investigated the profibrotic abilities of M2 BMDM conditioned media (CM) to promote fibroblast migration, proliferation, alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis, and mRNA expression of key fibrotic genes in both fibroblasts and in AECs. Although M2 CM-treated fibroblasts had increased migration and M2 CM-treated fibroblasts and AECs had increased expression of profibrotic proteins over M1 CM-treated cells, all differences can be attributed to M2 polarization reagents IL-4 and IL-13 also present in the CM. Collectively, these data suggest that the profibrotic effects associated with M2 macrophage CM in vitro are attributable to effects of polarization cytokines rather than additional factors secreted in response to those polarizing cytokines.

scholarly journals Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in the Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Salton ◽  
Maria Volpe ◽  
Marco Confalonieri
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Alveolar Epithelium ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Serious Disease

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious disease of the lung, which leads to extensive parenchymal scarring and death from respiratory failure. The most accepted hypothesis for IPF pathogenesis relies on the inability of the alveolar epithelium to regenerate after injury. Alveolar epithelial cells become apoptotic and rare, fibroblasts/myofibroblasts accumulate and extracellular matrix (ECM) is deposited in response to the aberrant activation of several pathways that are physiologically implicated in alveologenesis and repair but also favor the creation of excessive fibrosis via different mechanisms, including epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a pathophysiological process in which epithelial cells lose part of their characteristics and markers, while gaining mesenchymal ones. A role for EMT in the pathogenesis of IPF has been widely hypothesized and indirectly demonstrated; however, precise definition of its mechanisms and relevance has been hindered by the lack of a reliable animal model and needs further studies. The overall available evidence conceptualizes EMT as an alternative cell and tissue normal regeneration, which could open the way to novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as to more effective treatment options.

scholarly journals Idebenone has preventative and therapeutic effects on pulmonary fibrosis via preferential suppression of fibroblast activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshifumi Sugizaki ◽  
Ken-ichiro Tanaka ◽  
Teita Asano ◽  
Daisuke Kobayashi ◽  
Yuuki Hino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Epithelial Cell Line ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Synthetic Analogue ◽  
Apoptosis Resistance ◽  
Collagen Production ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial

AbstractAlveolar epithelial injury induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and abnormal collagen production by activated fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) is involved in the onset and exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Compared with alveolar epithelial cells, lung fibroblasts, especially myofibroblasts, exhibit an apoptosis-resistance phenotype (apoptosis paradox) that appears to be involved in IPF pathogenesis. Thus, we screened for chemicals eliciting preferential cytotoxicity of LL29 cells (lung fibroblasts from an IPF patient) compared with A549 cells (human lung alveolar epithelial cell line) from medicines already in clinical use. We identified idebenone, a synthetic analogue of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, an antioxidant) that has been used clinically as a brain metabolic stimulant. Idebenone induced cell growth inhibition and cell death in LL29 cells at a lower concentration than in A549 cells, a feature that was not observed for other antioxidant molecules (such as CoQ10) and two IPF drugs (pirfenidone and nintedanib). Administration of idebenone prevented bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and increased pulmonary ROS levels. Importantly, idebenone also improved pulmonary fibrosis and lung function when administered after the development of fibrosis, whereas administration of CoQ10 similarly prevented bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, but had no effect after its development. Administration of idebenone, but not CoQ10, suppressed bleomycin-induced increases in lung myofibroblasts. In vitro, treatment of LL29 cells with idebenone, but not CoQ10, suppressed TGF-β–induced collagen production. These results suggest that in addition to antioxidant activity, idebenone exerts inhibitory activity on the function of lung fibroblasts, with the former activity being preventative and the latter therapeutic for bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Thus, we propose that idebenone may be more therapeutically beneficial for IPF patients than current treatments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document