Tingting Weng

MicroRNA-127 modulates fetal lung development

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs and are widely regarded as one of the most important regulators of gene expression in both plants and animals. To define the roles of miRNAs in fetal lung development, we profiled the miRNA expression pattern during lung development with a miRNA microarray. We identified 21 miRNAs that showed significant changes in expression during lung development. These miRNAs were grouped into four distinct clusters based on their expression pattern. Cluster 1 contained miRNAs whose expression increased as development progressed, while clusters 2 and 3 showed the opposite trend of expression. miRNAs in cluster 4 including miRNA-127 (miR-127) had the highest expression at the late stage of fetal lung development. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the microarray results of six selected miRNAs. In situ hybridization demonstrated that miR-127 expression gradually shifted from mesenchymal cells to epithelial cells as development progressed. Overexpression of miR-127 in fetal lung organ culture significantly decreased the terminal bud count, increased terminal and internal bud sizes, and caused unevenness in bud sizes, indicating improper development. These findings suggest that miR-127 may have an important role in fetal lung development.

Blockade of IL-6 Trans Signaling Attenuates Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal lung disease with progressive fibrosis and death within 2–3 y of diagnosis. IPF incidence and prevalence rates are increasing annually with few effective treatments available. Inhibition of IL-6 results in the attenuation of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. It is unclear whether this is due to blockade of classical signaling, mediated by membrane-bound IL-6Rα, or trans signaling, mediated by soluble IL-6Rα (sIL-6Rα). Our study assessed the role of sIL-6Rα in IPF. We demonstrated elevations of sIL-6Rα in IPF patients and in mice during the onset and progression of fibrosis. We demonstrated that protease-mediated cleavage from lung macrophages was important in production of sIL-6Rα. In vivo neutralization of sIL-6Rα attenuated pulmonary fibrosis in mice as seen by reductions in myofibroblasts, fibronectin, and collagen in the lung. In vitro activation of IL-6 trans signaling enhanced fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix protein production, effects relevant in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the production of sIL-6Rα from macrophages in the diseased lung contributes to IL-6 trans signaling that in turn influences events crucial in pulmonary fibrosis.

Identification of rat lung-specific microRNAs by microRNA microarray: valuable discoveries for the facilitation of lung research

BackgroundAn important mechanism for gene regulation utilizes small non-coding RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs). These small RNAs play important roles in tissue development, cell differentiation and proliferation, lipid and fat metabolism, stem cells, exocytosis, diseases and cancers. To date, relatively little is known about functions of miRNAs in the lung except lung cancer.ResultsIn this study, we utilized a rat miRNA microarray containing 216 miRNA probes, printed in-house, to detect the expression of miRNAs in the rat lung compared to the rat heart, brain, liver, kidney and spleen. Statistical analysis using Significant Analysis of Microarray (SAM) and Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) revealed 2 miRNAs (miR-195 and miR-200c) expressed specifically in the lung and 9 miRNAs co-expressed in the lung and another organ. 12 selected miRNAs were verified by Northern blot analysis.ConclusionThe identified lung-specific miRNAs from this work will facilitate functional studies of miRNAs during normal physiological and pathophysiological processes of the lung.

miR-375 regulates rat alveolar epithelial cell trans-differentiation by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) trans-differentiation is a process where type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC II) trans-differentiate into type I alveolar epithelial cells (AEC I) during lung recovery after various injuries, in which AEC I are damaged. This process is critical for lung tissue repair. MicroRNAs are a group of small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They have the potential to regulate almost every aspect of cell physiology. However, whether AEC trans-differentiation is regulated by microRNAs is completely unknown. In this study, we found that miR-375 was downregulated during AEC trans-differentiation. The overexpression of miR-375 with an adenoviral vector inhibited alveolar epithelial trans-differentiation as indicated by an increase in the AEC II marker, surfactant protein C, and decreases in the AEC I markers, T1α and advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor. miR-375 also inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The constitutively activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling with a stabilized form of β-catenin blocked the miR-375 effects. Frizzled 8 was identified as a target of miR-375. In summary, our results demonstrate that miR-375 regulates AEC trans-differentiation through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This discovery may provide new targets for therapeutic intervention to benefit lung recovery from injuries.

MicroRNA-124 Suppresses the Transactivation of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells by Targeting Multiple Genes and Inhibits the Proliferation of Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells

Background: The NFAT signaling pathway is linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension. Results: MicroRNA screening revealed that miR-124 robustly inhibits NFAT activity, dephosphorylation, and nuclear translocation of NFAT by targeting multiple genes, NFATc1, CAMTA1, and PTBP1. Conclusion: miR-124 is an effective and multipronged inhibitor of NFAT signaling. Significance: miR-124 might be a potential immunosuppressant that may have biological effects linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension. Abnormal proliferation and phenotypic modulation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular disorders, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling pathway is linked to PASMC proliferation and PAH. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function in diverse biological processes. To systemically identify the specific miRNAs that regulate the NFAT pathway, a human primary miRNA library was applied for cell-based high throughput screening with the NFAT luciferase reporter system. Eight miRNAs were found to modulate NFAT activity efficiently. Of them, miR-124 robustly inhibited NFAT reporter activity and decreased both the dephosphorylation and the nuclear translocation of NFAT. miR-124 also inhibited NFAT-dependent transcription of IL-2 in Jurkat T cells. miR-124 exerted its effects by targeting multiple genes, including a known component of the NFAT pathway, NFATc1, and two new regulators of NFAT signaling, CAMTA1 (calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1) and PTBP1 (polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1). Physiologically, miR-124 was down-regulated by hypoxia in human PASMC, consistent with the activation of NFAT during this process. Down-regulation of miR-124 was also observed in 3-week hypoxia-treated mouse lungs. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-124 not only inhibited human PASMC proliferation but also maintained its differentiated phenotype by repressing the NFAT pathway. Taken together, our data provide the first evidence that miR-124 acts as an inhibitor of the NFAT pathway. Down-regulation of miR-124 in hypoxia-treated PASMC and its antiproliferative and prodifferentiation effects imply a potential value for miR-124 in the treatment of PAH.

The A2B adenosine receptor modulates pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease

Development of pulmonary hypertension is a common and deadly complication of interstitial lung disease. Little is known regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to pulmonary hypertension in patients with interstitial lung disease, and effective treatment options are lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the adenosine 2B receptor (A2BR) as a regulator of vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension secondary to pulmonary fibrosis. To accomplish this, cellular and molecular changes in vascular remodeling were monitored in mice exposed to bleomycin in conjunction with genetic removal of the A2BR or treatment with the A2BR antagonist GS‐6201. Results demonstrated that GS‐6201 treatment or genetic removal of the A2BR attenuated vascular remodeling and hypertension in our model. Furthermore, direct A2BR activation on vascular cells promoted interleukin‐6 and endothelin‐1 release. These studies identify a novel mechanism of disease progression to pulmonary hypertension and support the development of A2BR antagonists for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension secondary to interstitial lung disease.—Karmouty‐Quintana, H., Zhong, H., Acero, L., Weng, T., Melicoff, E., West, J. D., Hemnes, A., Grenz, A., Eltzschig, H. K., Blackwell, T. S., Xia, Y., Johnston, R. A., Zeng, D., Belardinelli, L., Blackburn, M. R. The A2B adenosine receptor modulates pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease. FASEB J. 26, 2546–2557 (2012). www.fasebj.org

A novel approach for the construction of multiple shRNA expression vectors.

The application of RNA interference (RNAi) as a research and therapeutic tool depends on its ability to silence genes in a sequence‐specific manner. Recent studies have reported that the effective knockdown of genes can be achieved by multiple short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in a single vector. Moreover, this approach can depress several genes simultaneously. However, current methods for the construction of multiple shRNA vectors often suffer from vector instability and are time‐consuming. Here, we describe a simple, quick and low‐cost approach to construct a single vector expressing four shRNA sequences driven by four different promoters. Using this vector, we were able to improve the gene silencing efficiency and make it possible to silence four different genes simultaneously, further expanding the application spectrum of RNAi, both in functional studies and therapeutic strategies. Copyright

Purinergic P2X7 receptor regulates lung surfactant secretion in a paracrine manner.

Alveolar epithelium is composed of alveolar epithelial cells of type I (AEC I) and type II (AEC II). AEC II secrete lung surfactant by means of exocytosis. P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), a P2 purinergic receptor, has been implicated in the regulation of synaptic transmission and inflammation. Here, we report that P2X7R, which is expressed in AEC I but not AEC II, is a novel mediator for the paracrine regulation of surfactant secretion in AEC II. In primary co-cultures of AEC I and AEC II benzoyl ATP (BzATP; an agonist of P2X7R) increased surfactant secretion, which was blocked by the P2X7R antagonist Brilliant Blue G. This effect was observed in AEC II co-cultured with human embryonic kidney HEK-293 cells stably expressing rat P2X7R, but not when co-cultured with AEC I in which P2X7R was knocked down or in co-cultures of AEC I and AEC II isolated from P2X7R−/− mice. BzATP-mediated secretion involved P2Y2 receptor signaling because it was reduced by the addition of the ATP scavengers apyrase and adenosine deaminase and the P2Y2 receptor antagonist suramin. However, the stimulation with BzATP might also release other substances that potentially increase surfactant secretion as a greater stimulation of secretion was observed in AEC II incubated with BzATP when co-cultured with E10 or HEK-293-P2X7R cells than with ATP alone. P2X7R−/− mice failed to increase surfactant secretion in response to hyperventilation, pointing to the physiological relevance of P2X7R in maintaining surfactant homeostasis in the lung. These results suggest that the activation of P2X7R increases surfactant secretion by releasing ATP from AEC I and subsequently stimulating P2Y2 receptors in AEC II.

Deletion of ADORA2B from myeloid cells dampens lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal, fibroproliferative disease. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can develop secondary to IPF and increase mortality. Alternatively, activated macrophages (AAMs) contribute to the pathogenesis of both IPF and PH. Here we hypothesized that adenosine signaling through the ADORA2B on AAMs impacts the progression of these disorders and that conditional deletion of ADORA2B on myeloid cells would have a beneficial effect in a model of these diseases. Conditional knockout mice lacking ADORA2B on myeloid cells (Adora2Bf/f‐LysMCre) were exposed to the fibrotic agent bleomycin (BLM; 0.035 U/g body weight, i.p.). At 14, 17, 21, 25, or 33 d after exposure, SpO2, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histologic analyses were performed. On day 33, lung function and cardiovascular analyses were determined. Markers for AAM and mediators of fibrosis and PH were assessed. Adora2Bf/f‐LysMCre mice presented with attenuated fibrosis, improved lung function, and no evidence of PH compared with control mice exposed to BLM. These findings were accompanied by reduced expression of CD206 and arginase‐1, markers for AAMs. A 10‐fold reduction in IL‐6 and a 5‐fold decrease in hyaluronan, both linked to lung fibrosis and PH, were also observed. These data suggest that activation of the ADORA2B on macrophages plays an active role in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis and PH.‐Karmouty‐Quintana, H., Philip, K., Acero, L. F., Chen, N.‐Y., Weng, T., Molina, J. G., Luo, F., Davies, J., Le, N.‐B., Bunge, I., Volcik, K. A., Le, T.‐T. T., Johnston, R. A., Xia, Y., Eltzschig, H. K., Blackburn, M. R. Deletion of ADORA2B from myeloid cells dampens lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. FASEB J. 29, 50–60 (2015). www.fasebj.org

Platelet-derived Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 is implicated in ICAM-1/VCAM-1-mediated neutrophilic acute lung inflammation.

Neutrophil infiltration represents the early acute inflammatory response in acute lung injury. The recruitment of neutrophils from the peripheral blood across the endothelial-epithelial barrier into the alveolar airspace is highly regulated by the adhesion molecules on alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in the progression of inflammatory lung diseases including asthma, emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis. However, the function of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in acute lung inflammation is unknown. Here, we identified platelet-derived Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1) as the major Wnt antagonist contributing to the suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in AECs during acute lung inflammation. Intratracheal administration of Wnt3a or an antibody capable of neutralizing Dkk1 inhibited neutrophil influx into the alveolar airspace of injured lungs. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in AECs attenuated intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)/vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1)-mediated adhesion of both macrophages and neutrophils to AECs. Our results suggest a role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in modulating the inflammatory response, and a functional communication between platelets and AECs during acute lung inflammation. Targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the communication between platelets and AECs therefore represents potential therapeutic strategies to limit the damage of acute pulmonary inflammation.