Dysregulated Proinflammatory and Fibrogenic Phenotype of Fibroblasts in Cystic Fibrosis

Morbi-mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) is mainly related to chronic lung infection and inflammation, uncontrolled tissue rearrangements and fibrosis, and yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We evaluated inflammatory and fibrosis responses to bleomycin in F508del homozygous and wild-type mice, and phenotype of fibroblasts explanted from mouse lungs and skin. The effect of vardenafil, a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, was tested in vivo and in culture. Responses of proinflammatory and fibrotic markers to bleomycin were enhanced in lungs and skin of CF mice and were prevented by treatment with vardenafil. Purified lung and skin fibroblasts from CF mice proliferated and differentiated into myofibroblasts more prominently and displayed higher sensitivity to growth factors than those recovered from wild-type littermates. Under inflammatory stimulation, mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory mediators were higher in CF than in wild-type fibroblasts, in which CFTR expression reached similar levels to those observed in other non-epithelial cells, such as macrophages. Increased proinflammatory responses in CF fibroblasts were reduced by half with submicromolar concentrations of vardenafil. Proinflammatory and fibrogenic functions of fibroblasts are upregulated in CF and are reduced by vardenafil. This study provides compelling new support for targeting cGMP signaling pathway in CF pharmacotherapy

Ubiquitous and kidney-specific subunits of vacuolar H+-ATPase are differentially expressed during nephrogenesis.

The vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a ubiquitous multisubunit pump that is responsible for acidification of intracellular organelles. In the kidney, a particular form of V-ATPase, made of specific subunits isoforms, has been located at the plasma membrane of intercalated cells (IC). Mutations in genes encoding IC-specific subunits cause infant distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), suggesting that the segmental distribution of these subunits is acquired at birth or during early infancy. However, the comparative ontogeny of the IC-specific versus the ubiquitous subunits of V-ATPase and the mechanisms involved in their segmental expression remain unknown. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR, in situ hybridization, immunoblotting, immunostaining, and subcellular fractionation analyses characterized the expression and distribution of V-ATPase subunits, transcription factors, and differentiation markers during mouse nephrogenesis. Ubiquitous A, E1, B2, G1, and C1 subunits showed an early (embryonic day 13.5 [E13.5]) and stable expression throughout nephrogenesis, followed by a slight increase around birth. The developmental pattern of a1 was bimodal, with early induction, gradual decrease during organogenesis, and neonatal increase. These patterns contrasted with the later (from E15.5) and progressive expression of IC-specific a4, B1, G3, and C2 subunits, after the induction of the forkhead transcription factor Foxi1. From E15.5, Foxi1 mRNA was detected in IC, where it co-distributed with B1 in late nephrogenesis. Immunostaining showed that the distribution of ubiquitous E1 and B2 was acquired from E15.5, whereas a4 was located in IC during late nephrogenesis. Subcellular fractionation showed that in both fetal and mature (cortex and medulla) kidneys, E1 and a4 were located in endosomes. These data demonstrate a differential expression and a coordinate regulation of IC-specific versus ubiquitous V-ATPase subunits during nephrogenesis. They provide new insights into the complex regulation of V-ATPase subunits, the maturation of IC along the nephron, and the pathophysiology of hereditary dRTA

Effects of estradiol, progesterone or cAMP on expression of PGRMC1 and progesterone receptor in a xenograft model of human endometrium and in endometrial cell culture

Estradiol and progesterone are key regulators of the menstrual cycle. In the human endometrium, progesterone induces morphological changes required for blastocyst implantation. Dysregulated response to progesterone can lead to endometrial pathologies including uterine bleeding and endometriosis. Besides the canonical nuclear progesterone receptor (encoded by the PGR gene), alternative response pathways include Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 (PGRMC1), suspected to be involved in pathogenesis of endometrial diseases. We previously reported the spatiotemporal profile of PGRMC1 expression in the human endometrium along the menstrual cycle, highlighting progressive increase and decrease during the proliferative and secretory phases, respectively. Here we directly addressed its regulation by estradiol and progesterone, with systematic comparison with regulation of PGR expression. We found a direct correlation between expression of both genes during the proliferative and secretory phases in the cycling endometrium, but not during the menstrual phase. In a xenograft model mimicking the cycle phases, estradiol significantly increased and progesterone significantly decreased PGR expression but changes were not significant for PGRMC1. Finally, we did not find any significant effect of the ovarian steroids on expression of PGR or PGRMC1 in primary culture of endometrial stromal cells, except for a small increase in PGR expression by estradiol. Altogether, our experiments do not allow a major advance in our understanding of the mechanisms of cyclic variation of PGRMC1 expression, in particular regarding potential regulation by the ovarian steroids

Time course of pathogenic and adaptation mechanisms in cystinotic mouse kidneys.

Cystinosis, a main cause of Fanconi syndrome, is reproduced in congenic C57BL/6 cystinosin knockout (KO) mice. To identify the sequence of pathogenic and adaptation mechanisms of nephropathic cystinosis, we defined the onset of Fanconi syndrome in KO mice between 3 and 6 months of age and analyzed the correlation with structural and functional changes in proximal tubular cells (PTCs), with focus on endocytosis of ultrafiltrated disulfide-rich proteins as a key source of cystine. Despite considerable variation between mice at the same age, typical event sequences were delineated. At the cellular level, amorphous lysosomal inclusions preceded cystine crystals and eventual atrophy without crystals. At the nephron level, lesions started at the glomerulotubular junction and then extended distally. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence revealed progressive loss of expression of megalin, cubilin, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2, and type IIa sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, suggesting apical dedifferentiation accounting for Fanconi syndrome before atrophy. Injection of labeled proteins revealed that defective endocytosis in S1 PTCs led to partial compensatory uptake by S3 PTCs, suggesting displacement of endocytic load and injury by disulfide-rich cargo. Increased PTC apoptosis allowed luminal shedding of cystine crystals and was partially compensated for by tubular proliferation. We conclude that lysosomal storage triggered by soluble cystine accumulation induces apical PTC dedifferentiation, which causes transfer of the harmful load of disulfide-rich proteins to more distal cells, possibly explaining longitudinal progression of swan-neck lesions. Furthermore, our results suggest that subsequent adaptation mechanisms include lysosomal clearance of free and crystalline cystine into urine and ongoing tissue repair

Time-course of pathogenic and adaptation mechanisms in cystinotic mice kidneys

Cystinosis, a main cause of Fanconi syndrome, is reproduced in congenic C57BL/6 cystinosin knockout (KO)mice. To identify the sequence of pathogenic and adaptationmechanisms of nephropathic cystinosis, we defined the onset of Fanconi syndrome in KO mice between 3 and 6 months of age and analyzed the correlation with structural and functional changes in proximal tubular cells (PTCs), with focus on endocytosis of ultrafiltrated disulfide-rich proteins as a key source of cystine. Despite considerable variation between mice at the same age, typical event sequences were delineated. At the cellular level, amorphous lysosomal inclusions preceded cystine crystals and eventual atrophy without crystals. At the nephron level, lesions started at the glomerulotubular junction and then extended distally. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence revealed progressive loss of expression of megalin, cubilin, sodiumglucose cotransporter 2, and type IIa sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, suggesting apical dedifferentiation accounting for Fanconi syndrome before atrophy. Injection of labeled proteins revealed that defective endocytosis in S1 PTCs led to partial compensatory uptake by S3 PTCs, suggesting displacement of endocytic load and injury by disulfide-rich cargo. Increased PTC apoptosis allowed luminal shedding of cystine crystals and was partially compensated for by tubular proliferation. We conclude that lysosomal storage triggered by soluble cystine accumulation induces apical PTC dedifferentiation, which causes transfer of the harmful load of disulfide-rich proteins to more distal cells, possibly explaining longitudinal progression of swan-neck lesions. Furthermore, our results suggest that subsequent adaptation mechanisms include lysosomal clearance of free and crystalline cystine into urine and ongoing tissue repair

Uncoupling between Inflammatory and Fibrotic Responses to Silica: Evidence from MyD88 Knockout Mice.

The exact implication of innate immunity in granuloma formation and irreversible lung fibrosis remains to be determined. In this study, we examined the lung inflammatory and fibrotic responses to silica in MyD88-knockout (KO) mice. In comparison to wild-type (WT) mice, we found that MyD88-KO animals developed attenuated lung inflammation, neutrophil accumulation and IL-1β release in response to silica. Granuloma formation was also less pronounced in MyD88-KO mice after silica. This limited inflammatory response was not accompanied by a concomitant attenuation of lung collagen accumulation after silica. Histological analyses revealed that while pulmonary fibrosis was localized in granulomas in WT animals, it was diffusely distributed throughout the parenchyma in MyD88-KO mice. Robust collagen accumulation was also observed in mice KO for several other components of innate immunity (IL-1R, IL-1, ASC, NALP3, IL-18R, IL-33R, TRIF, and TLR2-3-4,). We additionally show that pulmonary fibrosis in MyD88-KO mice was associated with the accumulation of pro-fibrotic regulatory T lymphocytes (T regs) and pro-fibrotic cytokine expression (TGF-β, IL-10 and PDGF-B), not with T helper (Th) 17 cell influx. Our findings indicate that the activation of MyD88-related innate immunity is central in the establishment of particle-induced lung inflammatory and granuloma responses. The development of lung fibrosis appears uncoupled from inflammation and may be orchestrated by a T reg-associated pathway

The alarmin IL-1α is a master cytokine in acute lung inflammation induced by silica micro- and nanoparticles

BackgroundInflammasome-activated IL-1ß plays a major role in lung neutrophilic inflammation induced by inhaled silica. However, the exact mechanisms that contribute to the initial production of precursor IL-1ß (pro-IL-1ß) are still unclear. Here, we assessed the implication of alarmins (IL-1¿, IL-33 and HMGB1) in the lung response to silica particles and found that IL-1¿ is a master cytokine that regulates IL-1ß expression.MethodsPro- and mature IL-1ß as well as alarmins were assessed by ELISA, Western Blot or qRT-PCR in macrophage cultures and in mouse lung following nano- and micrometric silica exposure. Implication of these immune mediators in the establishment of lung inflammatory responses to silica was investigated in knock-out mice or after antibody blockade by evaluating pulmonary neutrophil counts, CXCR2 expression and degree of histological injury.ResultsWe found that the early release of IL-1¿ and IL-33, but not HMGB1 in alveolar space preceded the lung expression of pro-IL-1ß and neutrophilic inflammation in silica-treated mice. In vitro, the production of pro-IL-1ß by alveolar macrophages was significantly induced by recombinant IL-1¿ but not by IL-33. Neutralization or deletion of IL-1¿ reduced IL-1ß production and neutrophil accumulation after silica in mice. Finally, IL-1¿ released by J774 macrophages after in vitro exposure to a range of micro- and nanoparticles of silica was correlated with the degree of lung inflammation induced in vivo by these particles.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that in response to silica exposure, IL-1¿ is rapidly released from pre-existing stocks in alveolar macrophages and promotes subsequent lung inflammation through the stimulation of IL-1ß production. Moreover, we demonstrated that in vitro IL-1¿ release from macrophages can be used to predict the acute inflammogenic activity of silica micro- and nanoparticles