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Xu Z, Zhang S, Han T, Cai L, Zhong S, Yang X, Zhang S, Li Y, Liu K, Zhou B, Tian X. Continuous genetic monitoring of transient mesenchymal gene activities in distal tubule and collecting duct epithelial cells during renal fibrosis. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30541. [PMID: 38372186 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial cells (ECs) have been proposed to contribute to myofibroblasts or fibroblasts through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during renal fibrosis. However, since EMT may occur dynamically, transiently, and reversibly during kidney fibrosis, conventional lineage tracing based on Cre-loxP recombination in renal ECs could hardly capture the transient EMT activity, yielding inconsistent results. Moreover, previous EMT research has primarily focused on renal proximal tubule ECs, with few reports of distal tubules and collecting ducts. Here, we generated dual recombinases-mediated genetic lineage tracing systems for continuous monitoring of transient mesenchymal gene expression in E-cadherin+ and EpCAM+ ECs of distal tubules and collecting ducts during renal fibrosis. Activation of key EMT-inducing transcription factor (EMT-TF) Zeb1 and mesenchymal markers αSMA, vimentin, and N-cadherin, were investigated following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Our data revealed that E-cadherin+ and EpCAM+ ECs did not transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts, nor transiently expressed these mesenchymal genes during renal fibrosis. In contrast, in vitro a large amount of cultured renal ECs upregulated mesenchymal genes in response to TGF-β, a major inducer of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaotong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Han
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Letong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Simin Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kuo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xueying Tian
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, Shanghai, China
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Pohl L, Schiessl IM. Endothelial cell plasticity in kidney fibrosis and disease. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2023; 239:e14038. [PMID: 37661749 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Renal endothelial cells demonstrate an impressive remodeling potential during angiogenic sprouting, vessel repair or while transitioning into mesenchymal cells. These different processes may play important roles in both renal disease progression or regeneration while underlying signaling pathways of different endothelial cell plasticity routes partly overlap. Angiogenesis contributes to wound healing after kidney injury and pharmaceutical modulation of angiogenesis may home a great therapeutic potential. Yet, it is not clear whether any differentiated endothelial cell can proliferate or whether regenerative processes are largely controlled by resident or circulating endothelial progenitor cells. In the glomerular compartment for example, a distinct endothelial progenitor cell population may remodel the glomerular endothelium after injury. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) in the kidney is vastly documented and often associated with endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis, and kidney disease progression. Especially the role of EndoMT in renal fibrosis is controversial. Studies on EndoMT in vivo determined possible conclusions on the pathophysiological role of EndoMT in the kidney, but whether endothelial cells really contribute to kidney fibrosis and if not what other cellular and functional outcomes derive from EndoMT in kidney disease is unclear. Sequencing data, however, suggest no participation of endothelial cells in extracellular matrix deposition. Thus, more in-depth classification of cellular markers and the fate of EndoMT cells in the kidney is needed. In this review, we describe different signaling pathways of endothelial plasticity, outline methodological approaches and evidence for functional and structural implications of angiogenesis and EndoMT in the kidney, and eventually discuss controversial aspects in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Pohl
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Wu Y, Liang M, Huang F, Cheng OH, Xiao X, Lee TH, Truong L, Cheng J. Notch Blockade Specifically in Bone Marrow-Derived FSP-1-Positive Cells Ameliorates Renal Fibrosis. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020214. [PMID: 36672147 PMCID: PMC9856686 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The infiltration of inflammatory cells during a kidney injury stimulates myofibroblast activation leading to kidney fibrosis. Fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP-1) positive cells have been reported as either myofibroblasts or monocytes during tissue fibrosis. The functions of FSP-1+ cells that are associated with the development of renal fibrosis and the signaling pathways that regulate FSP-1+ cell activation have not been well defined. METHODS In mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), we characterized FSP-1+ cells and determined the role of the Notch signaling pathway in the activation of bone marrow-derived FSP-1+ cells during kidney fibrosis. RESULTS In kidneys from mice with UUO, the FSP-1+ cells accumulated significantly in the tubulointerstitial area. By using immunostaining and FSP-1 reporter mice, we found that FSP-1 was co-stained with inflammatory cell markers, but not myofibroblast markers. Results from mice with bone marrow transplantations showed that FSP-1+ cells in obstructed kidneys represent a bone marrow-derived population of inflammatory cells. In cultured FSP-1+ cells, the inhibition of Notch signaling suppressed the activation and cytokine secretion of FSP-1+ cells that were induced by LPS but not by IL-4. The specific KO or blockade of Notch signaling in bone marrow-derived FSP-1+ cells suppressed UUO-induced ECM deposition, the infiltration of FSP-1+ inflammatory cells, and cytokine production. These responses ameliorated myofibroblast accumulation and renal fibrosis in obstructed kidneys. CONCLUSION Our study reveals that most FSP-1+ cells in obstructed kidneys are activated macrophages that are derived from bone marrow and that Notch signaling activates the production of M1 cytokines in FSP-1+ monocytes/macrophages, which is important for renal inflammation and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongdong Wu
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510000, China
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ming Liang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510000, China
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (J.C.); Tel.: +1-713-798-2698 (J.C.); Fax: +1-713-798-5010 (J.C.)
| | - Fengzhang Huang
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Owen H. Cheng
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Xiao
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tae Hoon Lee
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Luan Truong
- Department of Pathology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jizhong Cheng
- Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (J.C.); Tel.: +1-713-798-2698 (J.C.); Fax: +1-713-798-5010 (J.C.)
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Chang YT, Chung MC, Chang CH, Chiu KH, Shieh JJ, Wu MJ. Anti-EMT and anti-fibrosis effects of protocatechuic aldehyde in renal proximal tubular cells and the unilateral ureteral obstruction animal model. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2022; 60:1198-1206. [PMID: 35758295 PMCID: PMC9477482 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2088809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Protocatechuic aldehyde (PCA) is a natural product that has various benefits for fibrosis. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of PCA on renal fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was induced by 20 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), followed by treatment with 1 and 5 μM PCA, in the rat renal proximal tubular cell line NRK-52E. Cell viability, protein expression, and scratch wound-healing assays were conducted. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) surgery for renal fibrosis indication and were treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg PCA for 14 days. RESULTS The IC50 of PCA was appropriately 13.75 ± 1.91 μM in NRK-52E cells, and no significant difference at concentrations less than 5 μM. PCA ameliorated TGF-β1-induced EMT, such as enhanced E-cadherin and decreased vimentin. Fibrotic markers collagen IV and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) increased in TGF-β1-induced NRK-52E. Moreover, PCA reduced TGF-β1-induced migration in the wound-healing assay. Analysis of rat kidneys indicated that PCA reduced UUO-induced hydronephrosis (control: 15.11 ± 1.00%; UUO: 39.89 ± 1.91%; UUO + PCA50: 18.37 ± 1.61%; UUO + PCA100: 17.67 ± 1.39%). Protein level demonstrated that PCA not only decreased vimentin expression and enhanced E-cadherin expression, but inhibited UUO-induced collagen IV and α-SMA upregulation, indicating that it could mitigate EMT in a rat model of UUO-induced renal fibrosis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that PCA decreases TGF-β1-induced fibrosis and EMT in vitro and in vivo. These findings demonstrate pharmacological effects of PCA and might be a potential strategy for the prevention of organ fibrosis in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Teng Chang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Chi Chung
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hao Chang
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Hsun Chiu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Jer Shieh
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Ju Wu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Zhu Y, Li X, Wang L, Hong X, Yang J. Metabolic reprogramming and crosstalk of cancer-related fibroblasts and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:988295. [PMID: 36046791 PMCID: PMC9421293 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.988295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is notorious that cancer cells alter their metabolism to adjust to harsh environments of hypoxia and nutritional starvation. Metabolic reprogramming most often occurs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME is defined as the cellular environment in which the tumor resides. This includes surrounding blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, signaling molecules and the extracellular matrix (ECM). It is increasingly recognized that cancer cells, fibroblasts and immune cells within TME can regulate tumor progression through metabolic reprogramming. As the most significant proportion of cells among all the stromal cells that constitute TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are closely associated with tumorigenesis and progression. Multitudinous studies have shown that CAFs participate in and promote tumor metabolic reprogramming and exert regulatory effects via the dysregulation of metabolic pathways. Previous studies have demonstrated that curbing the substance exchange between CAFs and tumor cells can dramatically restrain tumor growth. Emerging studies suggest that CAFs within the TME have emerged as important determinants of metabolic reprogramming. Metabolic reprogramming also occurs in the metabolic pattern of immune cells. In the meanwhile, immune cell phenotype and functions are metabolically regulated. Notably, immune cell functions influenced by metabolic programs may ultimately lead to alterations in tumor immunity. Despite the fact that multiple previous researches have been devoted to studying the interplays between different cells in the tumor microenvironment, the complicated relationship between CAFs and immune cells and implications of metabolic reprogramming remains unknown and requires further investigation. In this review, we discuss our current comprehension of metabolic reprogramming of CAFs and immune cells (mainly glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism) and crosstalk between them that induces immune responses, and we also highlight their contributions to tumorigenesis and progression. Furthermore, we underscore potential therapeutic opportunities arising from metabolism dysregulation and metabolic crosstalk, focusing on strategies targeting CAFs and immune cell metabolic crosstalk in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Zhu
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinyan Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiwei Hong
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of General surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
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Gong N, Shi L, Bing X, Li H, Hu H, Zhang P, Yang H, Guo N, Du H, Xia M, Liu C. S100A4/TCF Complex Transcription Regulation Drives Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Chronic Sinusitis Through Wnt/GSK-3β/β-Catenin Signaling. Front Immunol 2022; 13:835888. [PMID: 35154161 PMCID: PMC8832002 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.835888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be involved in the tissue remodeling and long-term inflammatory process of chronic sinusitis (CRS), but the driving mechanism is still unclear. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we performed a proteomic screen of CRS nasal mucosal tissue to identify differentially expressed proteins. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD030884. Specifically, we identified S100 calcium binding protein A4 (S100A4), an effective factor in inflammation-related diseases, and its downstream protein closely related to tissue fibrosis collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), which suggested its involvement in nasal mucosal tissue remodeling. In addition, stimulation of human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mimicked the inflammatory environment of CRS and showed that S100A4 is involved in regulating EMT and thus accelerating tissue remodeling in the nasal mucosa, both in terms of increased cell motility and overexpression of mesenchymal-type proteins. Additionally, we further investigated the regulation mechanism of S100A4 involved in EMT in CRS. Our research results show that in the inflammatory environment of CRS nasal mucosal epithelial cells, TCF-4 will target to bind to S100A4 and regulate its transcription. The transcription of S100A4 in turn affects the execution of the important signaling pathway in EMT, the Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway, through the TCF-4/β-catenin complex. In conclusion, this study confirmed that the expression of S100A4 was significantly increased during the progressive EMT process of CRS mucosal epithelial cells, and revealed that the transcriptional regulation of S100A4 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of EMT. This finding will help us to better understand the pathogenesis behind the remodeling in CRS patients, and identify target molecules for the treatment of CRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningyue Gong
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Bing
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Houyang Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Huiming Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Na Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Hongjie Du
- Department of Biotechnology Research and Development, Qilu Pharmaceutical, Co.Ltd, Jinan, China
| | - Ming Xia
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Ming Xia, ; Chengcheng Liu,
| | - Chengcheng Liu
- Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Ming Xia, ; Chengcheng Liu,
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Dong K, Zhang C, Tian X, Coman D, Hyder F, Ma M, Somlo S. Renal plasticity revealed through reversal of polycystic kidney disease in mice. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1649-1663. [PMID: 34635846 PMCID: PMC9278957 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00946-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Initiation of cyst formation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) occurs when kidney tubule cells are rendered null for either PKD1 or PKD2 by somatic 'second hit' mutations. Subsequent cyst progression remodels the organ through changes in tubule cell shape, proliferation and secretion. The kidney develops inflammation and fibrosis. We constructed a mouse model in which adult inactivation of either Pkd gene can be followed by reactivation of the gene at a later time. Using this model, we show that re-expression of Pkd genes in cystic kidneys results in rapid reversal of ADPKD. Cyst cell proliferation is reduced, autophagy is activated and cystic tubules with expanded lumina lined by squamoid cells revert to normal lumina lined by cuboidal cells. Increases in inflammation, extracellular matrix deposition and myofibroblast activation are reversed, and the kidneys become smaller. We conclude that phenotypic features of ADPKD are reversible and that the kidney has an unexpected capacity for plasticity controlled at least in part by ADPKD gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Dong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Xin Tian
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel Coman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Fahmeed Hyder
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ming Ma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stefan Somlo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,
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Qian L, Gong J, Ma W, Sun Y, Hong J, Xu D, Chu M. Circulating S100A4 as a prognostic biomarker for patients with nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1400. [PMID: 34733952 PMCID: PMC8506725 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-1101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background Atrial fibrosis is involved in non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (NPAF) and is mainly mediated by the calcium-binding protein S100A4. This study aimed to verify the role of circulating S100A4 in the diagnosis of atrial fibrosis and the prognosis of NPAF. Methods Consecutive NPAF patients undergoing catheter ablation were selected. Patients with low voltage amplitudes (<0.40 mV) in the left atrium (LA), defined as low voltage zones (LVZs), were grouped in the scar group by electroanatomic mapping (EAM). Circulating S100A4 was detected by a human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The role of S100A4 in atrial fibrosis was further evaluated by Masson's trichrome staining and immunochemistry (IHC) in NPAF (atrial pacing) and control dogs. The prognostic value of the circulating S100A4 was evaluated by Cox regression analyses, the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results We enrolled a total of 101 NPAF patients (age 60±8 years) who underwent EAM, including 53 patients with scars and 48 patients without scars at 1-year follow-up. The scar group showed a higher serum level of S100A4 (3.4±1.7 vs. 2.5±1.4 ng/mL, P<0.001) than the non-scar group. In the canine model, scar size matched the larger location of interstitial fibrosis in the NPAF group determined by Masson's trichrome staining. The expression of α-SMA and S100A4 was elevated in the NPAF group as determined by IHC compared to the control group (P<0.001). The clinical recurrence rate was markedly elevated in the scar group (27.1% vs. 8.9%, P<0.001), and the area under the ROC curve was high (0.865, 95% CI: 0.750-0.981) in predicting clinical recurrence of NPAF with the circulating S100A4 model. Conclusions Circulating S100A4 plays a role in atrial fibrosis in NPAF patients following ablation. The level of serum S100A4 can predict the clinical recurrence of NPAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Qian
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinlong Gong
- Department of Cardiology, Jiangdu People's Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wenjie Ma
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Hong
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Di Xu
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Chu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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The Underappreciated Role of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Its Strong Link to Lung Cancer. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11091394. [PMID: 34572606 PMCID: PMC8472619 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organisation reported COPD to be the third leading cause of death globally in 2019, and in 2020, the most common cause of cancer death was lung cancer; when these linked conditions are added together they come near the top of the leading causes of mortality. The cell-biological program termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in organ development, fibrosis and cancer progression. Over the past decade there has emerged a substantial literature that also links EMT specifically to the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as primarily an airway fibrosis disease; COPD is a recognised strong independent risk factor for the development of lung cancer, over and above the risks associated with smoking. In this review, our primary focus is to highlight these linkages and alert both the COPD and lung cancer fields to these complex interactions. We emphasise the need for inter-disciplinary attention and research focused on the likely crucial roles of EMT (and potential for its inhibition) with recognition of its strategic place mechanistically in both COPD and lung cancer. As part of this we discuss the future potential directions for novel therapeutic opportunities, including evidence-based strategic repurposing of currently used familiar/approved medications.
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Davis JL, Thaler R, Cox L, Ricci B, Zannit HM, Wan F, Faccio R, Dudakovic A, van Wijnen AJ, Veis DJ. Constitutive activation of NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) in the mesenchymal lineage using Osterix (Sp7)- or Fibroblast-specific protein 1 (S100a4)-Cre drives spontaneous soft tissue sarcoma. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254426. [PMID: 34292968 PMCID: PMC8297882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant NF-κB signaling fuels tumor growth in multiple human cancer types including both hematologic and solid malignancies. Chronic elevated alternative NF-κB signaling can be modeled in transgenic mice upon activation of a conditional NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) allele lacking the regulatory TRAF3 binding domain (NT3). Here, we report that expression of NT3 in the mesenchymal lineage with Osterix (Osx/Sp7)-Cre or Fibroblast-Specific Protein 1 (FSP1)-Cre caused subcutaneous, soft tissue tumors. These tumors displayed significantly shorter latency and a greater multiple incidence rate in Fsp1-Cre;NT3 compared to Osx-Cre;NT3 mice, regardless of sex. Histological assessment revealed poorly differentiated solid tumors with some spindled patterns, as well as robust RelB immunostaining, confirming activation of alternative NF-κB. Even though NT3 expression also occurs in the osteolineage in Osx-Cre;NT3 mice, we observed no bony lesions. The staining profiles and pattern of Cre expression in the two lines pointed to a mesenchymal tumor origin. Immunohistochemistry revealed that these tumors stain strongly for alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), although vimentin staining was uniform only in Osx-Cre;NT3 tumors. Negative CD45 and S100 immunostains precluded hematopoietic and melanocytic origins, respectively, while positive staining for cytokeratin 19 (CK19), typically associated with epithelia, was found in subpopulations of both tumors. Principal component, differential expression, and gene ontology analyses revealed that NT3 tumors are distinct from normal mesenchymal tissues and are enriched for NF-κB related biological processes. We conclude that constitutive activation of the alternative NF-κB pathway in the mesenchymal lineage drives spontaneous sarcoma and provides a novel mouse model for NF-κB related sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Davis
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Roman Thaler
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Linda Cox
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Biancamaria Ricci
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Heather M. Zannit
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Fei Wan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Roberta Faccio
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States of America
- Shriners Hospitals for Children–St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Amel Dudakovic
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Andre J. van Wijnen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Deborah J. Veis
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Shriners Hospitals for Children–St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
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11
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Rausch M, Blanc L, De Souza Silva O, Dormond O, Griffioen AW, Nowak-Sliwinska P. Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma Heterotypic 3D Co-Cultures with Immune Cell Subsets. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2551. [PMID: 34067456 PMCID: PMC8197009 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-dimensional cell culture-based platforms are easy and reproducible, however, they do not resemble the heterotypic cell-cell interactions or the complex tumor microenvironment. These parameters influence the treatment response and the cancer cell fate. Platforms to study the efficacy of anti-cancer treatments and their impact on the tumor microenvironment are currently being developed. In this study, we established robust, reproducible, and easy-to-use short-term spheroid cultures to mimic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). These 3D co-cultures included human endothelial cells, fibroblasts, immune cell subsets, and ccRCC cell lines, both parental and sunitinib-resistant. During spheroid formation, cells induce the production and secretion of the extracellular matrix. We monitored immune cell infiltration, surface protein expression, and the response to a treatment showing that the immune cells infiltrated the spheroid co-cultures within 6 h. Treatment with an optimized drug combination or the small molecule-based targeted drug sunitinib increased immune cell infiltration significantly. Assessing the therapeutic potential of this drug combination in this platform, we revealed that the expression of PD-L1 increased in 3D co-cultures. The cost- and time-effective establishment of our 3D co-culture model and its application as a pre-clinical drug screening platform can facilitate the treatment validation and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Rausch
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.R.); (L.B.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Léa Blanc
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Olga De Souza Silva
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (O.D.S.S.); (O.D.)
| | - Olivier Dormond
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (O.D.S.S.); (O.D.)
| | - Arjan W. Griffioen
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.R.); (L.B.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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The Key Role of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Hypertensive Kidney Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143567. [PMID: 31330886 PMCID: PMC6679134 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), originally described as a key process for organ development and metastasis budding in cancer, plays a key role in the development of renal fibrosis in several diseases, including hypertensive nephroangiosclerosis. We herein reviewed the concept of EMT and its role in renal diseases, with particular focus on hypertensive kidney disease, the second leading cause of end-stage renal disease after diabetes mellitus. After discussing the pathophysiology of hypertensive nephropathy, the 'classic' view of hypertensive nephrosclerosis entailing hyalinization, and sclerosis of interlobular and afferent arterioles, we examined the changes occurring in the glomerulus and tubulo-interstitium and the studies that investigated the role of EMT and its molecular mechanisms in hypertensive kidney disease. Finally, we examined the reasons why some studies failed to provide solid evidence for renal EMT in hypertension.
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13
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Kumar S. Cellular and molecular pathways of renal repair after acute kidney injury. Kidney Int 2018; 93:27-40. [PMID: 29291820 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2017.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The acutely injured mammalian kidney mounts a cellular and molecular response to repair itself. However, in patchy regions such intrinsic processes are impaired and dysregulated leading to chronic kidney disease. Currently, no therapy exists to treat established acute kidney injury per se. Strategies to augment human endogenous repair processes and retard associated profibrotic responses are urgently required. Recent studies have identified injury-induced activation of the intrinsic molecular driver of epithelial regeneration and induction of partial epithelial to the mesenchymal state, respectively. Activation of key developmental transcription factors drive such processes; however, whether these recruit comparable gene regulatory networks with target genes similar to those in nephrogenesis is unclear. Extensive complex molecular cross-talk between the nephron epithelia and immune, interstitial, and endothelial cells regulate renal recovery. In vitro-based M1/M2 macrophage subtypes have been increasingly linked to renal repair; however, the precise contribution of in vivo macrophage plasticity to repair responses is poorly understood. Endothelial cell-pericyte intimacy, balance of the angiocrine/antiangiocrine system, and endothelial cell-regulated inflammatory processes have an impact on renal recovery and fibrosis. Close scrutiny of cellular and molecular pathways in repairing human kidneys is imperative for the identification of promising therapeutic targets and biomarker of human renal repair processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Kumar
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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14
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Kutlu T, Alcigir G. Comparison of renal lesions in cats and dogs using pathomorphological and ımmunohistochemical methods. Biotech Histochem 2018; 94:126-133. [PMID: 30328730 DOI: 10.1080/10520295.2018.1522670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the pathogenesis of chronic renal fibrosis in cats and dogs using immunohistochemistry. We used the avidin-biotin complex peroxidase (ABC-P) method with antibodies against transforming growth factor-β1, cytokeratin, E-cadherin, S100A4, alpha-smooth muscle actin, vimentin and nestin to determine whether tubule epithelial cells had undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) that resulted in loss of epithelial cells and an increased number of mesenchymal cells. Although nephrosis was more common in dogs, nephritis was more common in cats; these pathologies developed in both kidneys. We found that EMT participated in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis in both dogs and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuncer Kutlu
- a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology , Hatay Mustafa Kemal University , Hatay , Turkey
| | - Gunay Alcigir
- b Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology , Ankara University , Ankara , Turkey
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15
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Alkasalias T, Moyano-Galceran L, Arsenian-Henriksson M, Lehti K. Fibroblasts in the Tumor Microenvironment: Shield or Spear? Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051532. [PMID: 29883428 PMCID: PMC5983719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis is a complex process involving dynamic interactions between malignant cells and their surrounding stroma, including both the cellular and acellular components. Within the stroma, fibroblasts represent not only a predominant cell type, but also a major source of the acellular tissue microenvironment comprising the extracellular matrix (ECM) and soluble factors. Normal fibroblasts can exert diverse suppressive functions against cancer initiating and metastatic cells via direct cell-cell contact, paracrine signaling by soluble factors, and ECM integrity. The loss of such suppressive functions is an inherent step in tumor progression. A tumor cell-induced switch of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), in turn, triggers a range of pro-tumorigenic signals accompanied by distraction of the normal tissue architecture, thus creating an optimal niche for cancer cells to grow extensively. To further support tumor progression and metastasis, CAFs secrete factors such as ECM remodeling enzymes that further modify the tumor microenvironment in combination with the altered adhesive forces and cell-cell interactions. These paradoxical tumor suppressive and promoting actions of fibroblasts are the focus of this review, highlighting the heterogenic molecular properties of both normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as their main mechanisms of action, including the emerging impact on immunomodulation and different therapy responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Twana Alkasalias
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Salahaddin University, Irbil 44002, Kurdistan-Iraq.
| | - Lidia Moyano-Galceran
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marie Arsenian-Henriksson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Kaisa Lehti
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
- Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology and Medicum, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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16
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Zhou X, Xiong C, Tolbert E, Zhao TC, Bayliss G, Zhuang S. Targeting histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog-2 inhibits renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition and attenuates renal fibrosis. FASEB J 2018; 32:fj201800237R. [PMID: 29775417 PMCID: PMC6181636 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201800237r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog-2 (EZH2) is a methyltransferase that induces histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and functions as an oncogenic factor in many cancer types. Its role in renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains unknown. In this study, we found that EZH2 and H3K27me3 were highly expressed in mouse kidney with unilateral ureteral obstruction and cultured mouse kidney proximal tubular (TKPT) cells undergoing EMT. Inhibition of EZH2 with 3-deazaneplanocin A (3-DZNeP) attenuated renal fibrosis, which was associated with preserving E-cadherin expression and inhibiting Vimentin up-regulation in the obstructed kidney. Treatment with 3-DZNeP or transfection of EZH2 siRNA also inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT of TKPT cells. Injury to the kidney or cultured TKPT cells resulted in up-regulation of Snail-l family transcriptional repressor (Snail)-1 and Twist family basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) transcription factor (Twist)-1, which are 2 transcription factors, and down-regulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog, a protein tyrosine phosphatase associated with inhibition of PI3K-protein kinase B (AKT) signaling; EZH2 inhibition or silencing reversed all those responses. 3-DZNeP was also effective in suppressing epithelial arrest at the G2/M phase and dephosphorylating AKT and β-catenin in vivo and in vitro. These data indicate that EZH2 activation contributes to renal EMT and fibrosis through activation of multiple signaling pathways and suggest that EZH2 has potential as a therapeutic target for treatment of renal fibrosis.-Zhou, X., Xiong, C., Tolbert, E., Zhao, T. C., Bayliss, G., Zhuang, S. Targeting histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog-2 inhibits renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition and attenuates renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxu Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chongxiang Xiong
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Evelyn Tolbert
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ting C. Zhao
- Department of Surgery, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; and
| | - George Bayliss
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Shougang Zhuang
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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17
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Xia C, Braunstein Z, Toomey AC, Zhong J, Rao X. S100 Proteins As an Important Regulator of Macrophage Inflammation. Front Immunol 2018; 8:1908. [PMID: 29379499 PMCID: PMC5770888 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The S100 proteins, a family of calcium-binding cytosolic proteins, have a broad range of intracellular and extracellular functions through regulating calcium balance, cell apoptosis, migration, proliferation, differentiation, energy metabolism, and inflammation. The intracellular functions of S100 proteins involve interaction with intracellular receptors, membrane protein recruitment/transportation, transcriptional regulation and integrating with enzymes or nucleic acids, and DNA repair. The S100 proteins could also be released from the cytoplasm, induced by tissue/cell damage and cellular stress. The extracellular S100 proteins, serving as a danger signal, are crucial in regulating immune homeostasis, post-traumatic injury, and inflammation. Extracellular S100 proteins are also considered biomarkers for some specific diseases. In this review, we will discuss the multi-functional roles of S100 proteins, especially their potential roles associated with cell migration, differentiation, tissue repair, and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Xia
- College of Health Science and Nursing, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Zachary Braunstein
- Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Amelia C Toomey
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jixin Zhong
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Xiaoquan Rao
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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18
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Denton AE, Roberts EW, Fearon DT. Stromal Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1060:99-114. [PMID: 30155624 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-78127-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment comprises a mass of heterogeneous cell types, including immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts, alongside cancer cells. It is increasingly becoming clear that the development of this support niche is critical to the continued uncontrolled growth of the cancer. The tumor microenvironment contributes to the maintenance of cancer stemness and also directly promotes angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and chronic inflammation. In this chapter, we describe on the role of fibroblasts, specifically termed cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), in the promotion and maintenance of cancers. CAFs have a multitude of effects on the growth and maintenance of cancer, and here we focus on their roles in modulating immune cells and responses; CAFs both inhibit immune cell access to the tumor microenvironment and inhibit their functions within the tumor. Finally, we describe the potential modulation of CAF function as an adjunct to bolster the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice E Denton
- Lymphocyte Signalling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Edward W Roberts
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Douglas T Fearon
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Cannito S, Novo E, Parola M. Therapeutic pro-fibrogenic signaling pathways in fibroblasts. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2017; 121:57-84. [PMID: 28578015 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts (MFs) play a critical role in the progression of chronic inflammatory and fibroproliferative diseases in different tissues/organs, whatever the etiology. Fibrosis is preceded and sustained by persistent injury and inflammatory response in a profibrogenic scenario involving mutual interactions, operated by several mediators and pathways, of MFs and related precursor cells with innate immunity cells and virtually any cell type in a defined tissue. These interactions, mediators and related signaling pathways are critical in initiating and perpetuating the differentiation of precursor cells into MFs that in different tissues share peculiar traits and phenotypic responses, including the ability to proliferate, produce ECM components, migrate and contribute to the modulation of inflammatory response and tissue angiogenesis. Literature studies related to liver, lung and kidney fibrosis have outlined a number of MF-related core regulatory fibrogenic signaling pathways conserved across these different organs and potentially targetable in order to develop effective antifibrotic therapeutic strategies.
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20
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Xia C, Braunstein Z, Toomey AC, Zhong J, Rao X. S100 Proteins As an Important Regulator of Macrophage Inflammation. Front Immunol 2017. [PMID: 29379499 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01908/bibtex] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The S100 proteins, a family of calcium-binding cytosolic proteins, have a broad range of intracellular and extracellular functions through regulating calcium balance, cell apoptosis, migration, proliferation, differentiation, energy metabolism, and inflammation. The intracellular functions of S100 proteins involve interaction with intracellular receptors, membrane protein recruitment/transportation, transcriptional regulation and integrating with enzymes or nucleic acids, and DNA repair. The S100 proteins could also be released from the cytoplasm, induced by tissue/cell damage and cellular stress. The extracellular S100 proteins, serving as a danger signal, are crucial in regulating immune homeostasis, post-traumatic injury, and inflammation. Extracellular S100 proteins are also considered biomarkers for some specific diseases. In this review, we will discuss the multi-functional roles of S100 proteins, especially their potential roles associated with cell migration, differentiation, tissue repair, and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Xia
- College of Health Science and Nursing, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Zachary Braunstein
- Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Amelia C Toomey
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jixin Zhong
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Xiaoquan Rao
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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21
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Peuhu E, Kaukonen R, Lerche M, Saari M, Guzmán C, Rantakari P, De Franceschi N, Wärri A, Georgiadou M, Jacquemet G, Mattila E, Virtakoivu R, Liu Y, Attieh Y, Silva KA, Betz T, Sundberg JP, Salmi M, Deugnier MA, Eliceiri KW, Ivaska J. SHARPIN regulates collagen architecture and ductal outgrowth in the developing mouse mammary gland. EMBO J 2016; 36:165-182. [PMID: 27974362 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201694387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
SHARPIN is a widely expressed multifunctional protein implicated in cancer, inflammation, linear ubiquitination and integrin activity inhibition; however, its contribution to epithelial homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of SHARPIN in mammary gland development, a process strongly regulated by epithelial-stromal interactions. Mice lacking SHARPIN expression in all cells (Sharpincpdm), and mice with a stromal (S100a4-Cre) deletion of Sharpin, have reduced mammary ductal outgrowth during puberty. In contrast, Sharpincpdm mammary epithelial cells transplanted in vivo into wild-type stroma, fully repopulate the mammary gland fat pad, undergo unperturbed ductal outgrowth and terminal differentiation. Thus, SHARPIN is required in mammary gland stroma during development. Accordingly, stroma adjacent to invading mammary ducts of Sharpincpdm mice displayed reduced collagen arrangement and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Moreover, Sharpincpdm mammary gland stromal fibroblasts demonstrated defects in collagen fibre assembly, collagen contraction and degradation in vitro Together, these data imply that SHARPIN regulates the normal invasive mammary gland branching morphogenesis in an epithelial cell extrinsic manner by controlling the organisation of the stromal ECM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Peuhu
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riina Kaukonen
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Martina Lerche
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Markku Saari
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Camilo Guzmán
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pia Rantakari
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Anni Wärri
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | | | - Elina Mattila
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Yuming Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation (LOCI), University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Youmna Attieh
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | | | - Timo Betz
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France.,Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence, Institute of Cell Biology, Münster University, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Marko Salmi
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Marie-Ange Deugnier
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France.,Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, Paris, France
| | - Kevin W Eliceiri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation (LOCI), University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Johanna Ivaska
- Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland .,Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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22
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Prunotto M, Chaykovska L, Bongiovanni M, Frattini M, Cagarelli T, Weibel F, Bruschi M, de Herreros AG, Moll S. Tubular Cytoplasmic Expression of Zinc Finger Protein SNAI1 in Renal Transplant Biopsies: A Sign of Diseased Epithelial Phenotype? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 187:55-69. [PMID: 27863213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to analyze in vivo the role of zinc finger protein SNAI1 (SNAI1) on renal fibrosis. Unilateral ureteral obstruction injury was induced in Snai1 knockout mice. Snai1 gene deletion was, however, only partial and could therefore not be correlated to reduced fibrosis. Expression of SNAI1 protein and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation markers was then assessed in human chronic allograft nephropathy biopsy specimens. Significant up-regulation of SNAI1 protein was detected within cytoplasm of proximal tubules localized, for some of them, near foci of fibrosis and tubular atrophy. No concomitant epithelial-mesenchymal transformation could, however, be demonstrated analyzing the expression of the fibroblast markers vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, and S100A4. SNAI1 cytoplasmic up-regulation was particularly evident in biopsy specimens obtained from calcineurin inhibitor-treated patients, which might be because of, as suggested by in vitro experiments, a decrease of the proteasome chimotrypsin activity. Deeper analysis on chronic allograft nephropathy biopsy specimens suggested that SNAI1 cytoplasmic up-regulation was preceded by a transient increase of phosphorylated heat shock protein 27, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β. Concomitant down-regulation of the polyubuquitinylated conjugates was detected in SNAI1+ tubules. Altogether, these results might suggest that calcineurin inhibitor-induced tubular SNAI1 protein cytoplasmic accumulation, possibly because of impaired SNAI1 proteasomal degradation and nuclear translocation, might be a sign of a diseased profibrotic epithelial phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Prunotto
- Discovery Technologies, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Lyubov Chaykovska
- Clinics for Cardiovascular Surgery, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Massimo Bongiovanni
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Immunology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas Cagarelli
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Immunology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Weibel
- Discovery Technologies, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Bruschi
- Laboratory of Uremia Pathophysiology, Giannina Gaslini Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Solange Moll
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Immunology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Connexin43 contributes to electrotonic conduction across scar tissue in the intact heart. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26744. [PMID: 27244564 PMCID: PMC4886689 DOI: 10.1038/srep26744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated non-myocytes, including fibroblasts, can electrically couple to myocytes in culture. However, evidence demonstrating current can passively spread across scar tissue in the intact heart remains elusive. We hypothesize electrotonic conduction occurs across non-myocyte gaps in the heart and is partly mediated by Connexin43 (Cx43). We investigated whether non-myocytes in ventricular scar tissue are electrically connected to surrounding myocardial tissue in wild type and fibroblast-specific protein-1 driven conditional Cx43 knock-out mice (Cx43fsp1KO). Electrical coupling between the scar and uninjured myocardium was demonstrated by injecting current into the myocardium and recording depolarization in the scar through optical mapping. Coupling was significantly reduced in Cx43fsp1KO hearts. Voltage signals were recorded using microelectrodes from control scars but no signals were obtained from Cx43fsp1KO hearts. Recordings showed significantly decreased amplitude, depolarized resting membrane potential, increased duration and reduced upstroke velocity compared to surrounding myocytes, suggesting that the non-excitable cells in the scar closely follow myocyte action potentials. These results were further validated by mathematical simulations. Optical mapping demonstrated that current delivered within the scar could induce activation of the surrounding myocardium. These data demonstrate non-myocytes in the scar are electrically coupled to myocytes, and coupling depends on Cx43 expression.
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Bienaimé F, Muorah M, Yammine L, Burtin M, Nguyen C, Baron W, Garbay S, Viau A, Broueilh M, Blanc T, Peters D, Poli V, Anglicheau D, Friedlander G, Pontoglio M, Gallazzini M, Terzi F. Stat3 Controls Tubulointerstitial Communication during CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol 2016; 27:3690-3705. [PMID: 27153926 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2015091014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In CKD, tubular cells may be involved in the induction of interstitial fibrosis, which in turn, leads to loss of renal function. However, the molecular mechanisms that link tubular cells to the interstitial compartment are not clear. Activation of the Stat3 transcription factor has been reported in tubular cells after renal damage, and Stat3 has been implicated in CKD progression. Here, we combined an experimental model of nephron reduction in mice from different genetic backgrounds and genetically modified animals with in silico and in vitro experiments to determine whether the selective activation of Stat3 in tubular cells is involved in the development of interstitial fibrosis. Nephron reduction caused Stat3 phosphorylation in tubular cells of lesion-prone mice but not in resistant mice. Furthermore, specific deletion of Stat3 in tubular cells significantly reduced the extent of interstitial fibrosis, which correlated with reduced fibroblast proliferation and matrix synthesis, after nephron reduction. Mechanistically, in vitro tubular Stat3 activation triggered the expression of a specific subset of paracrine profibrotic factors, including Lcn2, Pdgfb, and Timp1. Together, our results provide a molecular link between tubular and interstitial cells during CKD progression and identify Stat3 as a central regulator of this link and a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Bienaimé
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling.,Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, and
| | - Mordi Muorah
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Lucie Yammine
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Martine Burtin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Clément Nguyen
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Willian Baron
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Serge Garbay
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1016, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8104, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Amandine Viau
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Mélanie Broueilh
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Thomas Blanc
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Dorien Peters
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; and
| | - Valeria Poli
- Department of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, Torino University, Turin, Italy
| | - Dany Anglicheau
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling.,Service de Néphrologie-Transplantation, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Friedlander
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling.,Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, and
| | - Marco Pontoglio
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1016, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8104, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Morgan Gallazzini
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling
| | - Fabiola Terzi
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1151, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Growth and Signaling,
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Taura K, Iwaisako K, Hatano E, Uemoto S. Controversies over the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Liver Fibrosis. J Clin Med 2016; 5:jcm5010009. [PMID: 26784242 PMCID: PMC4730134 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a universal consequence of chronic liver diseases. It is accompanied by activation of collagen-producing myofibroblasts, resulting in excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. The origin of myofibroblasts in the fibrotic liver has not been completely resolved and remains a matter of debate. Recently, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was proposed as one of the mechanisms that give rise to collagen-producing myofibroblasts in liver fibrosis. However, subsequent studies contradicted this hypothesis, and the EMT theory has become one of the most controversial and debatable issues in the field of liver fibrosis research. This review will summarize the existing literature on EMT in liver fibrosis and will analyze the causes for the contradictory results to draw a reasonable conclusion based on current knowledge in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kojiro Taura
- Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Keiko Iwaisako
- Department of Target Therapy Oncology Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Etsuro Hatano
- Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Shinji Uemoto
- Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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De Chiara L, Crean J. Emerging Transcriptional Mechanisms in the Regulation of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Cellular Plasticity in the Kidney. J Clin Med 2016; 5:jcm5010006. [PMID: 26771648 PMCID: PMC4730131 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Notwithstanding controversies over the role of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in the pathogenesis of renal disease, the last decade has witnessed a revolution in our understanding of the regulation of renal cell plasticity. Significant parallels undoubtedly exist between ontogenic processes and the initiation and propagation of damage in the diseased kidney as evidenced by the reactivation of developmental programmes of gene expression, in particular with respect to TGFβ superfamily signaling. Indeed, multiple signaling pathways converge on a complex transcriptional regulatory nexus that additionally involves epigenetic activator and repressor mechanisms and microRNA regulatory networks that control renal cell plasticity. It is becoming increasingly apparent that differentiated cells can acquire an undifferentiated state akin to “stemness” which is leading us towards new models of complex cell behaviors and interactions. Here we discuss the latest findings that delineate new and novel interactions between this transcriptional regulatory network and highlight a hitherto poorly recognized role for the Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC2) in the regulation of renal cell plasticity. A comprehensive understanding of how external stimuli interact with the epigenetic control of gene expression, in normal and diseased contexts, establishes a new therapeutic paradigm to promote the resolution of renal injury and regression of fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia De Chiara
- Diabetes Complications Research Centre, UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - John Crean
- Diabetes Complications Research Centre, UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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27
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Liu Y, Dong Z, Liu H, Zhu J, Liu F, Chen G. Transition of mesothelial cell to fibroblast in peritoneal dialysis: EMT, stem cell or bystander? Perit Dial Int 2015; 35:14-25. [PMID: 25700459 DOI: 10.3747/pdi.2014.00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) can lead to fibrotic changes in the peritoneum, characterized by loss of mesothelial cells (MCs) and thickening of the submesothelial area with an accumulation of collagen and myofibroblasts. The origin of myofibroblasts is a central question in peritoneal fibrosis that remains unanswered at present. Numerous clinical and experimental studies have suggested that MCs, through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), contribute to the pool of peritoneal myofibroblasts. However, recent work has placed significant doubts on the paradigm of EMT in organ fibrogenesis (in the kidney particularly), highlighting the need to reconsider the role of EMT in the generation of myofibroblasts in peritoneal fibrosis. In particular, selective cell isolation and lineage-tracing experiments have suggested the existence of progenitor cells in the peritoneum, which are able to switch to fibroblast-like cells when stimulated by the local environment. These findings highlight the plastic nature of MCs and its contribution to peritoneal fibrogenesis. In this review, we summarize the key findings and caveats of EMT in organ fibrogenesis, with a focus on PD-related peritoneal fibrosis, and discuss the potential of peritoneal MCs as a source of myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zheng Dong
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jiefu Zhu
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Fuyou Liu
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Guochun Chen
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
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28
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New developments in peritoneal fibroblast biology: implications for inflammation and fibrosis in peritoneal dialysis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:134708. [PMID: 26495280 PMCID: PMC4606153 DOI: 10.1155/2015/134708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Uraemia and long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) can lead to fibrotic thickening of the peritoneal membrane, which may limit its dialytic function. Peritoneal fibrosis is associated with the appearance of myofibroblasts and expansion of extracellular matrix. The extent of contribution of resident peritoneal fibroblasts to these changes is a matter of debate. Recent studies point to a significant heterogeneity and complexity of the peritoneal fibroblast population. Here, we review recent developments in peritoneal fibroblast biology and summarize the current knowledge on the involvement of peritoneal fibroblasts in peritoneal inflammation and fibrosis.
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Abstract
Myofibroblasts are activated in response to tissue injury with the primary task to repair lost or damaged extracellular matrix. Enhanced collagen secretion and subsequent contraction - scarring - are part of the normal wound healing response and crucial to restore tissue integrity. Due to myofibroblasts ability to repair but not regenerate, accumulation of scar tissue is always associated with reduced organ performance. This is a fair price to pay by the body for not falling apart. Whereas myofibroblasts typically vanish after successful repair, dysregulation of the normal repair process can lead to persistent myofibroblast activation, for instance by chronic inflammation or mechanical stress in the tissue. Excessive repair leads to the accumulation of stiff collagenous ECM contractures - fibrosis - with dramatic consequences for organ function. The clinical need to terminate detrimental myofibroblast activities has stimulated researchers to answer a number of essential questions: where do myofibroblasts come from, what are the factors leading to their activation, how do we discriminate myofibroblasts from other cells, what is the molecular basis for their contractile activity, and how can we stop or at least control them? This article reviews the current state of the myofibroblast literature by emphasizing their role in ocular repair and fibrosis. It appears that although the eye is quite an extraordinary organ, ocular myofibroblasts behave or misbehave just like their siblings in other organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Hinz
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 150 College Street, FitzGerald Building, Room 234, Toronto, M5S 3E2 Ontario, Canada.
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Myofibroblasts in proliferative diabetic retinopathy can originate from infiltrating fibrocytes and through endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT). Exp Eye Res 2015; 132:179-89. [PMID: 25637870 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts expressing α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) are the key cellular mediator of fibrosis. Fibrovascular epiretinal membranes from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) are characterized by the accumulation of a large number of myofibroblasts. We explored the hypothesis that proliferating endothelial cells via endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) and/or bone marrow-derived circulating fibrocytes contribute to the myofibroblast population present in PDR epiretinal membranes. Epiretinal membranes from 14 patients with PDR were studied by immunohistochemistry. All membranes contained neovessels expressing the endothelial cell marker CD31. CD31(+) endothelial cells co-expressed the fibroblast/myofibroblast markers fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and α-SMA, indicative for the occurrence of endoMT. In the stroma, cells expressing FSP-1, α-SMA, the leukocyte common antigen CD45, and the myelomonocytic marker CD11b were detected. Double labeling showed co-localization of CD45 with FSP-1 and α-SMA and co-localization of CD11b with α-SMA and matrix metalloproteinase-9, demonstrating the presence of infiltrating fibrocytes. In addition, we investigated the phenotypic changes that take place in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells following exposure to transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Retinal microvascular endothelial cells changed morphology upon cytokine exposure, lost the expression of endothelial cell markers (endothelial nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial-cadherin) and started to express mesenchymal markers (calponin, snail, transgelin and FSP-1). These results suggest that endothelial cells as well as circulating fibrocytes may differentiate into myofibroblasts in the diabetic eye and contribute to pathologic fibrosis in PDR.
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31
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Origin of myofibroblasts and cellular events triggering fibrosis. Kidney Int 2014; 87:297-307. [PMID: 25162398 DOI: 10.1038/ki.2014.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is a major hallmark of chronic kidney disease that is considered to be a common end point of various types of renal disease. To date, the biological meaning of fibrosis during the progression of chronic kidney diseases is unknown and possibly depends on the cell type contributing to extracellular matrix production. During the past decade, the origin of myofibroblasts in the kidney has been intensively investigated. Determining the origins of renal myofibroblasts is important because these might account for the heterogeneous characteristics and behaviors of myofibroblasts. Current data strongly suggest that collagen-producing myofibroblasts in the kidney can be derived from various cellular sources. Resident renal fibroblasts and cells of hematopoietic origin migrating into the kidney seem to be the most important ancestors of myofibroblasts. It is likely that both cell types communicate with each other and also with other cell types in the kidney. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge on the origin of scar-producing myofibroblasts and cellular events triggering fibrosis.
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Guay JA, Wojchowski DM, Fang J, Oxburgh L. Death associated protein kinase 2 is expressed in cortical interstitial cells of the mouse kidney. BMC Res Notes 2014; 7:345. [PMID: 24906443 PMCID: PMC4059477 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DAPK2 is a pro-apoptotic protein kinase that associates with TGFβ receptors. The homolog DAPK1 has been shown to mediate apoptosis in kidney injury. Expression databases indicate that DAPK2 is expressed in the kidney, and in this work we investigate the localization of renal DAPK2 expression and its role in the kidney. RESULTS Immunostaining demonstrates DAPK2 expression in interstitial cells of the renal cortex including PDGFRβ-positive pericytes and the CD73-positive erythropoietin-expressing fibroblast population. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis in experimental CKD arises directly from resident interstitial cells, and we therefore evaluated the expression of DAPK2 in the expanded interstitium of mice with kidney disease induced by chronic cisplatin administration. Expanded renal interstitium in these animals was negative for DAPK2 expression, but healthy areas of the kidney in which the tubular interstitium had not expanded expressed DAPK2 at levels similar to the uninjured control. Dapk2 null mice were generated to evaluate if DAPK2 is required for formation of the kidney, or its maintenance in the adult. Kidneys of Dapk2 null mice did not show overt malformations or age-related degeneration, but did show a slight increase in the number of interstitial fibroblasts. Differences were seen between Dapk2 null mice and wild type controls in the response to tubulointerstitial fibrosis caused by chronic cisplatin administration. Although mutant and wild type mice displayed comparable levels of alpha smooth muscle actin, interstitial proliferation and SMAD2 signaling, Dapk2 null mice showed reduced interstitial collagen accumulation. CONCLUSIONS In the kidney, DAPK2 is strongly and specifically expressed in interstitial cells of the cortex, providing a useful marker for this important cell population. Dapk2 null mice are phenotypically normal under steady state conditions, but display some resistance to extracellular matrix deposition in experimental renal fibrosis indicating that DAPK2 plays a profibrotic role in kidney injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Don M Wojchowski
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, 81 Research Drive, Scarborough, ME 04074, USA.
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Lee SJ, Kim KH, Park KK. Mechanisms of fibrogenesis in liver cirrhosis: The molecular aspects of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. World J Hepatol 2014; 6:207-216. [PMID: 24799989 PMCID: PMC4009476 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i4.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver injuries are repaired by fibrosis and regeneration. The cause of fibrosis and diminished regeneration, especially in liver cirrhosis, is still unknown. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been found to be associated with liver fibrosis. The possibility that EMT could contribute to hepatic fibrogenesis reinforced the concept that activated hepatic stellate cells are not the only key players in the hepatic fibrogenic process and that other cell types, either hepatic or bone marrow-derived cells could contribute to this process. Following an initial enthusiasm for the discovery of this novel pathway in fibrogenesis, more recent research has started to cast serious doubts upon the real relevance of this phenomenon in human fibrogenetic disorders. The debate on the authenticity of EMT or on its contribution to the fibrogenic process has become very animated. The overall result is a general confusion on the meaning and on the definition of several key aspects. The aim of this article is to describe how EMT participates to hepatic fibrosis and discuss the evidence of supporting this possibility in order to reach reasonable and useful conclusions.
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Kramann R, DiRocco DP, Humphreys BD. Understanding the origin, activation and regulation of matrix-producing myofibroblasts for treatment of fibrotic disease. J Pathol 2013; 231:273-89. [PMID: 24006178 DOI: 10.1002/path.4253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis and scar formation results from chronic progressive injury in virtually every tissue and affects a growing number of people around the world. Myofibroblasts drive fibrosis, and recent work has demonstrated that mesenchymal cells, including pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts, are their main progenitors. Understanding the cellular mechanisms of pericyte/fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, myofibroblast proliferation and the key signalling pathways that regulate these processes is essential to develop novel targeted therapeutics for the growing patient population suffering from solid organ fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about different progenitor cells of myofibroblasts, discuss major pathways that regulate their transdifferentiation and discuss the current status of novel targeted anti-fibrotic therapeutics in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Kramann
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; RWTH Aachen University, Division of Nephrology, Aachen, Germany
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35
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Peritoneal fibrosis and the putative role of decorin. Int J Organ Transplant Med 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hkjn.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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36
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Schindeler A, Kolind M, Little DG. Cellular transitions and tissue engineering. Cell Reprogram 2013; 15:101-6. [PMID: 23550730 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2012.0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) describe complex changes in progenitor lineage, cell morphology, and gene expression. Stimulated by environmental cues, these cellular transitions are essential for elements of embryonic development and can be pathologically dysregulated in disease states. EMT occurs in biological processes such as gastrulation, cardiogenesis, and fibrosis. EndMT is involved in development and tissue fibrosis, but recent studies have implicated this process in musculoskeletal biology and pathology. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine typically rely on endogenous progenitors or progenitors expanded ex vivo to repair damaged or impaired tissues or organs. The processes of EMT and EndMT may aid in elucidating new methods for reducing fibrosis and identifying novel plastic progenitor populations for tissue repair. This review will discuss the potential for EMT and EndMT to impact on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Schindeler
- Department of Orthopaedic Research & Biotechnology, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
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Kong P, Christia P, Saxena A, Su Y, Frangogiannis NG. Lack of specificity of fibroblast-specific protein 1 in cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2013; 305:H1363-72. [PMID: 23997102 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00395.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the role of fibroblasts in pathologic conditions is hampered by the absence of specific markers. Fibroblast-specific protein (FSP)1 has been suggested as a fibroblast-specific marker in normal and fibrotic tissues; FSP1 reporter mice and FSP1-Cre-driven gene deletion are considered reliable strategies to investigate fibroblast biology. Because fibroblasts are abundant in normal and injured mammalian hearts, we studied the identity of FSP1(+) cells in the infarcted and remodeling myocardium using mice with green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression driven by the FSP1 promoter. Neonatal and adult mouse hearts had low numbers of FSP1(+) cells. Myocardial infarction induced marked infiltration with FSP1-expressing cells that peaked after 72 h of reperfusion. Using flow cytometry, we identified 50% of FSP1(+) cells as hematopoietic cells; many endothelial cells were also FSP1(+). Increased infiltration with FSP1(+) cells was also noted in the pressure-overloaded myocardium. Although some FSP1(+) cells had fibroblast morphology, >30% were identified as hematopoietic cells, endothelial cells, or vascular smooth muscle cells. In contrast, periostin did not stain leukocytes or vascular cells but labeled spindle-shaped interstitial cells and, as a typical matricellular protein, was deposited in the matrix. CD11b(+) myeloid cells sorted from the infarcted heart had higher FSP1 expression than corresponding CD11b-negative cells, highlighting the predominant expression by hematopoietic cells. FSP1 is not a specific marker for fibroblasts in cardiac remodeling and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Kong
- Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine (Cardiology Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Español-Suñer
- Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric P Lemaigre
- Liver and Pancreas Development Unit, de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle A Leclercq
- Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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39
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Kaissling B, LeHir M, Kriz W. Renal epithelial injury and fibrosis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2013; 1832:931-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Revised: 02/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Borthwick LA, Wynn TA, Fisher AJ. Cytokine mediated tissue fibrosis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2013; 1832:1049-60. [PMID: 23046809 PMCID: PMC3787896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2012.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Acute inflammation is a recognised part of normal wound healing. However, when inflammation fails to resolve and a chronic inflammatory response is established this process can become dysregulated resulting in pathological wound repair, accumulation of permanent fibrotic scar tissue at the site of injury and the failure to return the tissue to normal function. Fibrosis can affect any organ including the lung, skin, heart, kidney and liver and it is estimated that 45% of deaths in the western world can now be attributed to diseases where fibrosis plays a major aetiological role. In this review we examine the evidence that cytokines play a vital role in the acute and chronic inflammatory responses that drive fibrosis in injured tissues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Fibrosis: Translation of basic research to human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee A Borthwick
- Tissue Fibrosis and Repair Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK; Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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41
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Kawakita T, Espana EM, Higa K, Kato N, Li W, Tseng SCG. Activation of Smad-mediated TGF-β signaling triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in murine cloned corneal progenitor cells. J Cell Physiol 2012; 228:225-34. [PMID: 22674610 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), via activation of Wnt signaling, is prevailing in embryogenesis, but postnatally it only occurs in pathological processes, such as in tissue fibrosis and tumor metastasis. Our prior studies led us to speculate that EMT might be involved in the loss of limbal epithelial stem cells in explant cultures. To examine this hypothesis, we successfully grew murine corneal/limbal epithelial progenitors by prolonging the culture time and by seeding at a low density in a serum-free medium. Single cell-derived clonal growth was accompanied by a gradient of Wnt signaling activity, from the center to the periphery, marked by a centrifugal loss of E-cadherin and β-catenin from intercellular junctions, coupled with nuclear translocation of β-catenin and LEF-1. Large-colony-forming efficiency at central location of colony was higher than peripheral location. Importantly, there was also progressive centrifugal differentiation, with positive K14 keratin expression and the loss of p63 and PCNA nuclear staining, and irreversible EMT, evidenced by cytoplasmic expression of α-SMA and nuclear localization of S100A4; and by nuclear translocation of Smad4. Furthermore, cytoplasmic expression of α-SMA was promoted by high-density cultures and their conditioned media, which contained cell density-dependent levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β2, GM-CSF, and IL-1α. Exogenous TGF-β1 induced α-SMA positive cells in a low-density culture, while TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody partially inhibited α-SMA expression in a high-density culture. Collectively, these results indicate that irreversible EMT emerges in the periphery of clonal expansion where differentiation and senescence of murine corneal/limbal epithelial progenitors occurs as a result of Smad-mediated TGF-β-signaling.
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Duffield JS, Lupher M, Thannickal VJ, Wynn TA. Host responses in tissue repair and fibrosis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2012; 8:241-76. [PMID: 23092186 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-020712-163930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 433] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts accumulate in the spaces between organ structures and produce extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen I. They are the primary "effector" cells in tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Previously, leukocyte progenitors termed fibrocytes and myofibroblasts generated from epithelial cells through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were considered the primary sources of ECM-producing myofibroblasts in injured tissues. However, genetic fate mapping experiments suggest that mesenchyme-derived cells, known as resident fibroblasts, and pericytes are the primary precursors of scar-forming myofibroblasts, whereas epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and myeloid leukocytes contribute to fibrogenesis predominantly by producing key fibrogenic cytokines and by promoting cell-to-cell communication. Numerous cytokines derived from T cells, macrophages, and other myeloid cell populations are important drivers of myofibroblast differentiation. Monocyte-derived cell populations are key regulators of the fibrotic process: They act as a brake on the processes driving fibrogenesis, and they dismantle and degrade established fibrosis. We discuss the origins, modes of activation, and fate of myofibroblasts in various important fibrotic diseases and describe how manipulation of macrophage activation could help ameliorate fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Duffield
- Division of Nephrology, Center for Lung Biology, and the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019, USA
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Chen W, Frangogiannis NG. Fibroblasts in post-infarction inflammation and cardiac repair. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2012; 1833:945-53. [PMID: 22982064 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2012.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Revised: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 08/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblasts are the predominant cell type in the cardiac interstitium. As the main matrix-producing cells in the adult mammalian heart, fibroblasts maintain the integrity of the extracellular matrix network, thus preserving geometry and function. Following myocardial infarction fibroblasts undergo dynamic phenotypic alterations and direct the reparative response. Due to their strategic location, cardiac fibroblasts serve as sentinel cells that sense injury and activate the inflammasome secreting cytokines and chemokines. During the proliferative phase of healing, infarct fibroblasts undergo myofibroblast transdifferentiation forming stress fibers and expressing contractile proteins (such as α-smooth muscle actin). Mechanical stress, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad3 signaling and alterations in the composition of the extracellular matrix induce acquisition of the myofibroblast phenotype. In the highly cellular and growth factor-rich environment of the infarct, activated myofibroblasts produce matrix proteins, proteases and their inhibitors regulating matrix metabolism. As the infarct matures, "stress-shielding" of myofibroblasts by the cross-linked matrix and growth factor withdrawal may induce quiescence and ultimately cause apoptotic death. Because of their critical role in post-infarction cardiac remodeling, fibroblasts are promising therapeutic targets following myocardial infarction. However, the complexity of fibroblast functions and the pathophysiologic heterogeneity of post-infarction remodeling in the clinical context discourage oversimplified approaches in clinical translation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Cardiac Pathways of Differentiation, Metabolism and Contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, USA
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Prunotto M, Budd DC, Gabbiani G, Meier M, Formentini I, Hartmann G, Pomposiello S, Moll S. Epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk alteration in kidney fibrosis. J Pathol 2012; 228:131-47. [PMID: 22570261 DOI: 10.1002/path.4049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is constantly rising, reaching epidemic proportions in the western world and leading to an enormous threat, even to modern health-care systems, in industrialized countries. Therapies of CKD have greatly improved following the introduction of drugs targeting the renin-angiotensin system (RAAS) but even this refined pharmacological approach has failed to stop progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in many individuals. In vitro historical data and recent new findings have suggested that progression of renal fibrosis might occur as a result of an altered tubulo-interstitial microenvironment and, more specifically, as a result of an altered epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk. Here we the review biological findings that support the hypothesis of an altered cellular crosstalk in an injured local tubulo-interstitial microenvironment leading to renal disease progression. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Prunotto
- CV and Metabolic DTA Department, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.
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45
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Bockmeyer CL, Kern DS, Forstmeier V, Lovric S, Modde F, Agustian PA, Steffens S, Birschmann I, Traeder J, Dämmrich ME, Schwarz A, Kreipe HH, Bröcker V, Becker JU. Arteriolar vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation in benign nephrosclerosis. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2012; 27:3493-501. [PMID: 22319217 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfr811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Benign nephrosclerosis (bN) is the most prevalent form of hypertensive damage in kidney biopsies. It is defined by early hyalinosis and later fibrosis of renal arterioles. Despite its high prevalence, very little is known about the contribution of arteriolar vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to bN. We examined classical and novel candidate markers of the normal contractile and the pro-fibrotic secretory phenotype of VSMCs in arterioles in bN. METHODS Sixty-three renal tissue specimens with bN and eight control specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry for the contractile markers caldesmon, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), JunB, smoothelin and the secretory marker S100A4 and by double stains for caldesmon or smoothelin with S100A4. RESULTS Smoothelin immunostaining showed an inverse correlation with hyalinosis and fibrosis scores, while S100A4 correlated with fibrosis scores only. Neither caldesmon, alpha-SMA nor JunB correlated with hyalinosis or fibrosis scores. Cells in the arteriolar wall were exclusively positive either for caldesmon/smoothelin or S100A4. CONCLUSIONS This is the first systematic analysis of VSMC differentiation in bN. The results suggest that smoothelin is the most sensitive marker for the contractile phenotype and that S100A4 could be a novel marker for the secretory phenotype in vivo. The other markers did not seem to differentiate these phenotypes in bN. Thus, VSMC phenotype markers should be defined in the context of the vessel segment and disease under examination. S100A4 could not only be a marker of pro-fibrotic secretory VSMCs in bN but also an important mediator of arteriolar fibrosis.
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Sedrakyan S, Da Sacco S, Milanesi A, Shiri L, Petrosyan A, Varimezova R, Warburton D, Lemley KV, De Filippo RE, Perin L. Injection of amniotic fluid stem cells delays progression of renal fibrosis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2012; 23:661-73. [PMID: 22302195 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2011030243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Injection of amniotic fluid stem cells ameliorates the acute phase of acute tubular necrosis in animals by promoting proliferation of injured tubular cells and decreasing apoptosis, but whether these stem cells could be of benefit in CKD is unknown. Here, we used a mouse model of Alport syndrome, Col4a5(-/-) mice, to determine whether amniotic fluid stem cells could modify the course of progressive renal fibrosis. Intracardiac administration of amniotic fluid stem cells before the onset of proteinuria delayed interstitial fibrosis and progression of glomerular sclerosis, prolonged animal survival, and ameliorated the decline in kidney function. Treated animals exhibited decreased recruitment and activation of M1-type macrophages and a higher proportion of M2-type macrophages, which promote tissue remodeling. Amniotic fluid stem cells did not differentiate into podocyte-like cells and did not stimulate production of the collagen IVa5 needed for normal formation and function of the glomerular basement membrane. Instead, the mechanism of renal protection was probably the paracrine/endocrine modulation of both profibrotic cytokine expression and recruitment of macrophages to the interstitial space. Furthermore, injected mice retained a normal number of podocytes and had better integrity of the glomerular basement membrane compared with untreated Col4a5(-/-) mice. Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system by amniotic fluid stem cells may contribute to these beneficial effects. In conclusion, treatment with amniotic fluid stem cells may be beneficial in kidney diseases characterized by progressive renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sargis Sedrakyan
- GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Urology, Saban Research Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
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47
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The origin of interstitial myofibroblasts in chronic kidney disease. Pediatr Nephrol 2012; 27:183-93. [PMID: 21311912 PMCID: PMC3116994 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-011-1772-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2010] [Revised: 12/16/2010] [Accepted: 01/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic kidney diseases (CKD), independent of their primary cause, lead to progressive, irreversible loss of functional renal parenchyma. Renal pathology in CKD is characterized by tubulointerstitial fibrosis with excessive matrix deposition produced by myofibroblasts. Because blocking the formation of these scar-forming cells represents a logical therapeutic target for patients with progressive fibrotic kidney disease, the origin of renal myofibroblasts is a subject of intense investigation. Although the traditional view holds that resident fibroblasts are the myofibroblast precursor, for the last 10 years, injured epithelial cells have been thought to directly contribute to the myofibroblast pool by the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The recent application of genetic fate mapping techniques in mouse fibrosis models has provided new insights into the cell hierarchies in fibrotic kidney disease and results cast doubt on the concept that EMT is a source of myofibroblast recruitment in vivo, but rather point to the resident pericyte/perivascular fibroblast as the myofibroblast progenitor pool. This review will highlight recent findings arguing against EMT as a direct contributor to the kidney myofibroblast population and review the use of genetic fate mapping to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of kidney homeostasis and disease.
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48
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Engels B, Rowley DA, Schreiber H. Targeting stroma to treat cancers. Semin Cancer Biol 2011; 22:41-9. [PMID: 22212863 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2011.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
All cancers depend on stroma for support of growth. Leukemias, solid tumors, cancer cells causing effusions, metastases as well as micro-disseminated cancer cells release factors that stimulate stromal cells, which in turn produce ligands that stimulate cancer cells. Therefore, elimination of stromal support by destroying the stromal cells or by inhibiting feedback stimulation of cancer growth is in the focus of many evolving therapies. A stringent evaluation of the efficacy of stromal targeting requires testing in animal models. Most current studies emphasize the successes of stromal targeting rather than deciphering its limitations. Here we show that many of the stromal targeting approaches, while often reducing tumor growth rates, are rarely curative. Therefore, we will also discuss conditions where stromal targeting can eradicate large established tumors. Finally, we will examine still unanswered questions of this promising and exciting area of cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Engels
- Department of Pathology, Committee on Cancer Biology, Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637-5420, USA.
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49
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Wang JH, Newbury LJ, Knisely AS, Monia B, Hendry BM, Sharpe CC. Antisense knockdown of Kras inhibits fibrosis in a rat model of unilateral ureteric obstruction. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 180:82-90. [PMID: 22074740 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2011] [Revised: 08/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the hallmark of chronic kidney disease and is characterized by an increase in the number and activity of interstitial fibroblasts and by excessive matrix deposition. Ras is an intracellular signaling molecule involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. It has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. Of the three different isoforms of Ras (Kirsten, Harvey, and Neural), we previously demonstrated that the Kirsten isoform is key in the control of renal fibroblast proliferation in vitro. In this study, we used gene therapy in the form of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) specifically to silence Kras (alias Ki-ras) expression in a rat model of renal fibrosis caused by unilateral ureteric obstruction. We demonstrate that renal Kras expression increases by 70% in this model compared with sham-operated animals and that treatment with ASOs can reduce total renal Kras by >90% to levels well below basal. This silencing is associated with a dramatic inhibition of interstitial fibrosis, a fivefold reduction in α-smooth muscle actin expression, and a 2.4-fold reduction in collagen I deposition. This inhibition was observed despite histologic evidence of marked interstitial inflammation. These findings demonstrate that silencing Kras expression can markedly inhibit renal fibrosis. This strategy should be considered as a new potential therapeutic avenue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Wang
- Department of Renal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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50
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Travis EL, Rachakonda G, Zhou X, Korhonen K, Sekhar KR, Biswas S, Freeman ML. NRF2 deficiency reduces life span of mice administered thoracic irradiation. Free Radic Biol Med 2011; 51:1175-83. [PMID: 21712086 PMCID: PMC3156301 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Subsets of cancer survivors who have been subjected to thoracic irradiation face the prospect of developing pulmonary injury. Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis is an insidious injury that presents 6 to 24 months after irradiation and continues to progress over a period of years. TGF-β and reactive oxygen species contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of this injury. The transcription factor NRF2 controls antioxidant gene expression and therefore regulates the cellular oxidant burden. This work demonstrates an additional paradigm for NRF2: suppression of TGF-β-mediated signaling, assessed by measuring expression of a surrogate TGF-β1 target gene (PAI-1) in lung fibroblasts. Thoracic irradiation of Nfe2l2(-/-) mice resulted in rapid expression of PAI-1 and FSP-1 compared to irradiated wild-type mice. Examination of lung tissue 16 weeks after thoracic irradiation of Nfe2l2(-/-) mice revealed the presence of distended alveoli and decreased numbers of alveoli compared to wild-type mice. Suppression of NRF2 expression shortened life span in mice administered 16 Gy to the thorax. Nfe2l2(+/-) and Nfe2l2(-/-) mice exhibited a mean life span of 176 days compared to wild-type mice, which lived an average of 212 days. These novel results identify NRF2 as a susceptibility factor for the development of late tissue injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L. Travis
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 0066, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Girish Rachakonda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Xinhui Zhou
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 0066, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Katrina Korhonen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Konjeti R Sekhar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Swati Biswas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Michael L. Freeman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Michael L. Freeman, PhD, B 902 TVC Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232. Phone: 615-322-3606;
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