Reduced viability of mice with lung epithelial-specific knockout of glucocorticoid receptor

Embigin deficiency leads to delayed embryonic lung development and high neonatal mortality in mice

Embigin (Gp70), a receptor for fibronectin and an ancillary protein for monocarboxylate transporters, is known to regulate stem cell niches in sebaceous gland and bone marrow. Here, we show that embigin expression is at high level during early mouse embryogenesis and that embigin is essential for lung development. Markedly increased neonatal mortality of Emb-/- mice can be explained by the compromised lung maturation: in Emb-/- mice (E17.5) the number and the size of the small airways and distal airspace are significantly smaller, there are fewer ATI and ATII cells, and the alkaline phosphatase activity in amniotic fluid is lower. Emb-/- lungs show less peripheral branching already at E12.5, and embigin is highly expressed in lung primordium. Thus, embigin function is essential at early pseudoglandular stage or even earlier. Furthermore, our RNA-seq analysis and Ki67 staining results support the idea that the development of Emb-/- lungs is rather delayed than defected.

Impaired negative feedback and death following acute stress in glucocorticoid receptor knockout Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles

Blood glucocorticoid levels are regulated by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axis (HPA axis in mammals, HPI axis in amphibians), and negative feedback by glucocorticoid signaling is a key player in that regulation. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR) mediate negative feedback in mammals, but little is known about nuclear receptor-mediated feedback in amphibians. Because amphibians have only one corticosteroidogenic cell type responsible for glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid production, we hypothesized that GR knockout (GRKO) tadpoles have elevated levels of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids as well as axis components regulating their production. We also examined the response to stress and potential for increased aldosterone signaling in GRKO tadpoles. We found that GRKO tadpoles have severe hyperactivity of the HPI axis, namely high mRNA expression levels of pomc, cyp17a1, cyp21a2, cyp11b2, and star, and high tissue content of corticosterone, aldosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 21-deoxycortisol, and progesterone. Such aberrant HPI activity was accompanied by reduced survival after acute temperature shock and shaking stress. Like mammalian models of HPA hyperactivity, GRKO tadpoles have high MR mRNA expression levels in brain, kidney, heart, and skin and high levels of the inflammatory cytokine tnf-α and the profibrotic factor tgf-β in kidneys. This study showed GR is critical for negative feedback to the amphibian HPI axis and for survival from acute stressors. This study also showed GRKO tadpoles exhibit altered expression/overproduction of regulators of salt-water homeostasis and associated biomarkers of kidney disease.

Circadian Regulation of Hormonal Timing and the Pathophysiology of Circadian Dysregulation

Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, daily patterns of behavior and physiology that are essential for optimal health and disease prevention. Disruptions to circadian timing are associated with a host of maladies, including metabolic disease and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health disturbances. The circadian timing system is hierarchically organized, with a master circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus and subordinate clocks throughout the CNS and periphery. The SCN receives light information via a direct retinal pathway, synchronizing the master clock to environmental time. At the cellular level, circadian rhythms are ubiquitous, with rhythms generated by interlocking, autoregulatory transcription-translation feedback loops. At the level of the SCN, tight cellular coupling maintains rhythms even in the absence of environmental input. The SCN, in turn, communicates timing information via the autonomic nervous system and hormonal signaling. This signaling couples individual cellular oscillators at the tissue level in extra-SCN brain loci and the periphery and synchronizes subordinate clocks to external time. In the modern world, circadian disruption is widespread due to limited exposure to sunlight during the day, exposure to artificial light at night, and widespread use of light-emitting electronic devices, likely contributing to an increase in the prevalence, and the progression, of a host of disease states. The present overview focuses on the circadian control of endocrine secretions, the significance of rhythms within key endocrine axes for typical, homeostatic functioning, and implications for health and disease when dysregulated. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12: 1-30, 2022.

Impact of downstream effects of glucocorticoid receptor dysfunction on organ function in critical illness-associated systemic inflammation

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are stress hormones that regulate developmental and physiological processes and are among the most potent anti-inflammatory drugs to suppress chronic and acute inflammation. GCs act through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ubiquitously expressed ligand-activated transcription factor, which translocates into the nucleus and can act via two different modes, as a GR monomer or as a GR dimer. These two modes of action are not clearly differentiated in practice and may lead to completely different therapeutic outcomes. Detailed aspects of GR mechanisms are often not taken into account when GCs are used in different clinical scenarios. Patients, with critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency, treated with natural or synthetic GCs are still missing a clearly defined therapeutic strategy. This review discusses the different modes of GR function and its importance on organ function in vivo.

Targeted Disruption of Mouse Dip2B Leads to Abnormal Lung Development and Prenatal Lethality

Molecular and anatomical functions of mammalian Dip2 family members (Dip2A, Dip2B and Dip2C) during organogenesis are largely unknown. Here, we explored the indispensable role of Dip2B in mouse lung development. Using a LacZ reporter, we explored Dip2B expression during embryogenesis. This study shows that Dip2B expression is widely distributed in various neuronal, myocardial, endothelial, and epithelial cell types during embryogenesis. Target disruption of Dip2b leads to intrauterine growth restriction, defective lung formation and perinatal mortality. Dip2B is crucial for late lung maturation rather than early-branching morphogenesis. The morphological analysis shows that Dip2b loss leads to disrupted air sac formation, interstitium septation and increased cellularity. In BrdU incorporation assay, it is shown that Dip2b loss results in increased cell proliferation at the saccular stage of lung development. RNA-seq analysis reveals that 1431 genes are affected in Dip2b deficient lungs at E18.5 gestation age. Gene ontology analysis indicates cell cycle-related genes are upregulated and immune system related genes are downregulated. KEGG analysis identifies oxidative phosphorylation as the most overrepresented pathways along with the G2/M phase transition pathway. Loss of Dip2b de-represses the expression of alveolar type I and type II molecular markers. Altogether, the study demonstrates an important role of Dip2B in lung maturation and survival.

Understanding Human Lung Development through In Vitro Model Systems

An abundance of information about lung development in animal models exists; however, comparatively little is known about lung development in humans. Recent advances using primary human lung tissue combined with the use of human in vitro model systems, such as human pluripotent stem cell-derived tissue, have led to a growing understanding of the mechanisms governing human lung development. They have illuminated key differences between animal models and humans, underscoring the need for continued advancements in modeling human lung development and utilizing human tissue. This review discusses the use of human tissue and the use of human in vitro model systems that have been leveraged to better understand key regulators of human lung development and that have identified uniquely human features of development. This review also examines the implementation and challenges of human model systems and discusses how they can be applied to address knowledge gaps.

Autophagy is required for lung development and morphogenesis

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains a major respiratory illness in extremely premature infants. The biological mechanisms leading to BPD are not fully understood, although an arrest in lung development has been implicated. The current study aimed to investigate the occurrence of autophagy in the developing mouse lung and its regulatory role in airway branching and terminal sacculi formation. We found 2 windows of epithelial autophagy activation in the developing mouse lung, both resulting from AMPK activation. Inhibition of AMPK-mediated autophagy led to reduced lung branching in vitro. Conditional deletion of beclin 1 (Becn1) in mouse lung epithelial cells (Becn1Epi-KO), either at early (E10.5) or late (E16.5) gestation, resulted in lethal respiratory distress at birth or shortly after. E10.5 Becn1Epi-KO lungs displayed reduced airway branching and sacculi formation accompanied by impaired vascularization, excessive epithelial cell death, reduced mesenchymal thinning of the interstitial walls, and delayed epithelial maturation. E16.5 Becn1Epi-KO lungs had reduced terminal air sac formation and vascularization and delayed distal epithelial differentiation, a pathology similar to that seen in infants with BPD. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that intrinsic autophagy is an important regulator of lung development and morphogenesis and may contribute to the BPD phenotype when impaired.

Circadian variation in pulmonary inflammatory responses is independent of rhythmic glucocorticoid signaling in airway epithelial cells

The circadian clock is a critical regulator of immune function. We recently highlighted a role for the circadian clock in a mouse model of pulmonary inflammation. The epithelial clock protein Bmal1 was required to regulate neutrophil recruitment in response to inflammatory challenge. Bmal1 regulated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) recruitment to the neutrophil chemokine, CXC chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5), providing a candidate mechanism. We now show that clock control of pulmonary neutrophilia persists without rhythmic glucocorticoid availability. Epithelial GR-null mice had elevated expression of proinflammatory chemokines in the lung under homeostatic conditions. However, deletion of GR in the bronchial epithelium blocked rhythmic CXCL5 production, identifying GR as required to confer circadian control to CXCL5. Surprisingly, rhythmic pulmonary neutrophilia persisted, despite nonrhythmic CXCL5 responses, indicating additional circadian control mechanisms. Deletion of GR in myeloid cells alone did not prevent circadian variation in pulmonary neutrophilia and showed reduced neutrophilic inflammation in response to dexamethasone treatment. These new data show GR is required to confer circadian control to some inflammatory chemokines, but that this alone is insufficient to prevent circadian control of neutrophilic inflammation in response to inhaled LPS, with additional control mechanisms arising in the myeloid cell lineage.—Ince, L. M., Zhang, Z., Beesley, S., Vonslow, R. M., Saer, B. R., Matthews, L. C., Begley, N., Gibbs, J. E., Ray, D. W., Loudon, A. S. I. Circadian variation in pulmonary inflammatory responses is independent of rhythmic glucocorticoid signaling in airway epithelial cells.

Glucocorticoid Signaling in Health and Disease: Insights From Tissue-Specific GR Knockout Mice

Glucocorticoids are adrenally produced hormones critically involved in development, general physiology, and control of inflammation. Since their discovery, glucocorticoids have been widely used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions. However, high doses or prolonged use leads to a number of side effects throughout the body, which preclude their clinical utility. The primary actions of glucocorticoids are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a transcription factor that regulates many complex signaling pathways. Although GR is nearly ubiquitous throughout the body, glucocorticoids exhibit cell- and tissue-specific effects. For example, glucocorticoids stimulate glucose production in the liver, reduce glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle, and decrease insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cells. Mouse models represent an important approach to understanding the dynamic functions of GR signaling in normal physiology, disease, and resistance. In the absence of a viable GR null model, gene-targeting techniques utilizing promoter-driven recombination have provided an opportunity to characterize the tissue-specific actions of GR. The aim of the present review is to describe the organ systems in which GR has been conditionally deleted and summarize the functions ascribed to glucocorticoid action in those tissues.

Beyond epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition: Common suppression of differentiation programs underlies epithelial barrier dysfunction in mild, moderate, and severe asthma

BACKGROUND

Epithelial barrier dysfunction is a central feature in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proposed as one mechanism afflicting barrier in asthma. However, genes and pathways involved in aberrant epithelial-mesenchymal signaling, and their relationship to asthma severity, are poorly understood.

METHODS

We used unbiased gene network analysis to evaluate functional convergence in epithelial gene expression signatures across multiple public access transcriptomics datasets of human asthma, followed by text mining to evaluate functional marker relevance of discovered genes. We objectively confirmed these findings in epithelial brushings and primary asthmatic epithelial cells cultured in different biological contexts.

RESULTS

We found a striking suppression of epithelial differentiation in asthma, overrepresented by insufficiency in insulin and Notch signaling, but with the absence of conventional EMT markers. We identified EFNB2, FGFR1, FGFR2, INSR, IRS2, NOTCH2, TLE1, and NTRK2 as novel markers central to dysregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal signaling, but surprisingly overlooked in asthma research. We found that this "core" signature of asthma is shared by mild, moderate, and severe forms of disease, progressing with severity. Loss of epithelial differentiation induced by insulin deprivation in normal human bronchial epithelial cells cultured in organotypic conditions closely approximated gene expression in asthmatic epithelial brushings.

CONCLUSIONS

The comparative analysis of publically available transcriptomes demonstrated that epithelial barrier dysfunction in asthma is characterized by persistent underlying de-differentiation program with complex etiology. The lasting alteration of the asthmatic epithelial cell transcriptome implicates regulation involving metabolism and epigenetics, beyond EMT driven by injury and repair in chronic inflammation.

Loss of the podocyte glucocorticoid receptor exacerbates proteinuria after injury

Nephrotic syndrome is a common disorder in adults and children whose etiology is largely unknown. Glucocorticoids remain the mainstay of therapy in most cases, though their mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that immunomodulatory therapies used in nephrotic syndrome directly target the podocytes. To study how steroids directly affect the podocytes in the treatment of proteinuria, we created a mouse model with podocyte-specific deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor. The podocyte-specific glucocorticoid receptor (GR) knockout mice had similar renal function and protein excretion compared to wild type. However, after glomerular injury induced by either LPS or nephrotoxic serum, the podocyte GR knockout mice demonstrated worsened proteinuria compared to wild type. Ultrastructural examination of podocytes confirmed more robust foot process effacement in the knockout animals. Expression of several key slit diaphragm protein was down regulated in pGR KO mice. Primary podocytes isolated from wild type and podocyte GR knockout mice showed similar actin stress fiber staining patterns in unstimulated conditions. Yet, when exposed to LPS, GR knockout podocytes demonstrated fewer stress fibers and impaired migration compared to wild type podocytes. We conclude that the podocyte glucocorticoid receptor is important for limiting proteinuria in settings of podocyte injury.

Dynamic modulation of Cyp21a1 (21-hydroxylase) expression sites in the mouse developing lung

21-hydroxylase is expressed in the developing lung where it is proposed as a local source of glucocorticoids playing important roles in lung development. We have studied the precise sites of Cyp21a1 expression in the developing mouse lung from the pseudoglandular stage (gestation day (GD) 15.5) to the alveolar stage (postnatal day (PND) 15) by in situ hybridization. Cyp21a1-mRNA was found mainly in epithelial cells from GD 15.5 to PND 5, but the precise site of expression shifted from the distal epithelium during the pseudoglandular and the canalicular stages including the distal epithelium without lumina, to the proximal epithelium and the wall of developing saccules during the perinatal period (GD 19.5 and PND 0), and to the wall of developing saccules and septa, most probably in type I pneumonocytes (PTI), on PND 5. Cyp21a1 expression changed from PTI cells to capillary endothelial cells of the same distal structures during alveolarization. The mesenchyme was generally negative. Endothelial cells forming large vessels were negative. However the tunica adventitia surrounding arteries was Cyp21a1-positive, while several veins were surrounded by a Cyp21a1-positive layer. In conclusion, Cyp21a1 remains expressed in the most distal structure of the developing lung even though these structures are changing, but its expression is not restricted to these areas. Taken together, our data show the highly dynamic modulation of Cyp21a1 expression sites, consistent with the evolving structures of the developing lung.

CYP21A2 expression is localized in the developing distal epithelium of the human perinatal lung and is compatible with in situ production and intracrine actions of active glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids play essential roles in lung development. We investigated for expression of CYP21A2 (21-hydroxylase) as well as for the presence of the corresponding protein and identification of CYP21A2-expressing cells in several human developing lungs. Expression of some related genes was also assessed. CYP21A2 and CYP17A1 (P450c17) mRNAs were found in all the 34 lung samples from 17 to 40 weeks' gestation at variable levels. No correlation was found according to sex but a correlation with age was detected for CYP17A1 only. In contrast, CYP11B1 (11β-hydroxylase)- and CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase)-mRNAs were not detected. Significant levels of the CYP21A2 protein were detected in all the analyzed samples, while only very low signals were detected for CYP17A1 protein. In situ hybridization revealed that CYP21A2 was almost exclusively expressed in the distal epithelium. It was reported that the lung distal epithelium of human fetuses also express 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, which catalyzes cortisol inactivation into cortisone. Based on this information, intracrine glucocorticoid actions should take place from CYP21A2 products through the glucocorticoid receptor in the absence of cortisol. In contrast, mineralocorticoid receptor activation did not seem to depend on deoxycorticosterone produced from local activity of CYP21A2 because of the reported circulating amounts of aldosterone.

Epithelial Sodium Channels in Pulmonary Epithelial Progenitor and Stem Cells

Regeneration of the epithelium of mammalian lungs is essential for restoring normal function following injury, and various cells and mechanisms contribute to this regeneration and repair. Club cells, bronchioalveolar stem cells (BASCs), and alveolar type II epithelial cells (ATII) are dominant stem/progenitor cells for maintaining epithelial turnover and repair. Epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC), a critical pathway for transapical salt and fluid transport, are expressed in lung epithelial progenitors, including club and ATII cells. Since ENaC activity and expression are development- and differentiation-dependent, apically located ENaC activity has therefore been used as a functional biomarker of lung injury repair. ENaC activity may be involved in the migration and differentiation of local and circulating stem/progenitor cells with diverse functions, eventually benefiting stem cells spreading to re-epithelialize injured lungs. This review summarizes the potential roles of ENaC expressed in native progenitor and stem cells in the development and regeneration of the respiratory epithelium.

Glucocorticoids and the Lung

The lung is a major clinical target of glucocorticoid-based therapeutics, and GR signaling has broad effects on respiratory physiology and inflammation. During lung development, expression of GR in the mesenchyme is required for normal terminal alveolar epithelial differentiation. Prenatal administration of exogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, however, promotes alveolar maturation and accelerates surfactant expression in a manner consistent with direct effects on the developing alveolar epithelium. Likewise, cell autonomous effects of GCs in regulating gene expression and phenotype of the airway epithelium and airway smooth muscle have been demonstrated to control important therapeutic effects of GCs in treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Here, mechanisms and consequences of GR signaling in the developing lung and in treating obstructive lung disease are reviewed, with a focus on direct effects of GR signaling on alveolar differentiation, surfactant expression, and airway epithelial and smooth muscle pathophysiology.

Maternal high-fat diet is associated with impaired fetal lung development

Maternal nutrition has a profound long-term impact on infant health. Poor maternal nutrition influences placental development and fetal growth, resulting in low birth weight, which is strongly associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and type 2 diabetes, later in life. Few studies have delineated the mechanisms by which maternal nutrition affects fetal lung development. Here, we report that maternal exposure to a diet high in fat (HFD) causes placental inflammation, resulting in placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and inhibition of fetal lung development. Notably, pre- and postnatal exposure to maternal HFD also results in persistent alveolar simplification in the postnatal period. Our novel findings provide a strong association between maternal diet and fetal lung development.

Glucocorticoids Distinctively Modulate the CFTR Channel with Possible Implications in Lung Development and Transition into Extrauterine Life

During fetal development, the lung is filled with fluid that is secreted by an active Cl- transport promoting lung growth. The basolateral Na⁺,K⁺,2Cl^- cotransporter (NKCC1) participates in Cl^- secretion. The apical Cl^- channels responsible for secretion are unknown but studies suggest an involvement of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CFTR is developmentally regulated with a high expression in early fetal development and a decline in late gestation. Perinatal lung transition is triggered by hormones that stimulate alveolar Na⁺ channels resulting in fluid absorption. Little is known on how hormones affect pulmonary Cl^- channels. Since the rise of fetal cortisol levels correlates with the decrease in fetal CFTR expression, a causal relation may be assumed. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of glucocorticoids on pulmonary Cl^- channels. Alveolar cells from fetal and adult rats, A549 cells, bronchial Calu-3 and 16HBE14o- cells, and primary rat airway cells were studied with real-time quantitative PCR and Ussing chambers. In fetal and adult alveolar cells, glucocorticoids strongly reduced Cftr expression and channel activity, which was prevented by mifepristone. In bronchial and primary airway cells CFTR mRNA expression was also reduced, whereas channel activity was increased which was prevented by LY-294002 in Calu-3 cells. Therefore, glucocorticoids strongly reduce CFTR expression while their effect on CFTR activity depends on the physiological function of the cells. Another apical Cl^- channel, anoctamin 1 showed a glucocorticoid-induced reduction of mRNA expression in alveolar cells and an increase in bronchial cells. Furthermore, voltage-gated chloride channel 5 and anoctamine 6 mRNA expression were increased in alveolar cells. NKCC1 expression was reduced by glucocorticoids in alveolar and bronchial cells alike. The results demonstrate that glucocorticoids differentially modulate pulmonary Cl^- channels and are likely causing the decline of CFTR during late gestation in preparation for perinatal lung transition.

Glucocorticoid regulation of lung development: lessons learned from conditional GR knockout mice

Glucocorticoid (GC) steroid hormones have well-characterized roles in the regulation of systemic homeostasis, yet less understood is their known role in utero to mature the developing respiratory system in preparation for birth. During late gestation, endogenously produced GCs thin the interstitial tissue of the lung, causing the vasculature and future airspaces to come into close alignment, allowing for efficient gas exchange at birth. More potent synthetic GCs are also used worldwide to reduce the severity of respiratory distress suffered by preterm infants; however, their clinical benefits are somewhat offset by potential detrimental long-term effects on health and development. Here, we review the recent literature studying both global and conditional gene-targeted respiratory mouse models of either GC deficiency or glucocorticoid receptor ablation. Although some discrepancies exist between these transgenic mouse strains, these models have revealed specific roles for GCs in particular tissue compartments of the developing lung and identify the mesenchyme as the critical site for glucocorticoid receptor-mediated lung maturation, particularly for the inhibition of cell proliferation and epithelial cell differentiation. Specific mesenchymal and epithelial cell-expressed gene targets that may potentially mediate the effect of GCs have also been identified in these studies and imply a GC-regulated system of cross talk between compartments during lung development. A better understanding of the specific roles of GCs in specific cell types and compartments of the fetal lung will allow the development of a new generation of selective GC ligands, enabling better therapeutic treatments with fewer side effects for lung immaturity at birth in preterm infants.

Regulation of fetal lung development in response to maternal overnutrition

With the worldwide obesity epidemic, the proportion of women entering pregnancy overweight or obese has increased significantly in recent years. Babies born to obese women are at an increased risk of respiratory complications at birth and in childhood. In addition to maternal diabetes, there are a number of metabolic changes that the fetus of an overnourished mother experiences in utero that may modulate lung development and represent the mechanisms underlying the increased risk of respiratory complications. Herein we highlight a series of factors associated with the intrauterine environment of an overnourished mother that may impact on fetal lung development and lead to an increased risk of complications at birth or in postnatal life.

Developmental programs of lung epithelial progenitors: a balanced progenitor model

The daunting task of lung epithelium development is to transform a cluster of foregut progenitors into a three-dimensional (3D) tubular network with distinct cell types distributed at their appropriate locations. A complete understanding of lung development needs to address not only how, but also where, different cell types form. We propose that the lung epithelium forms through regulated deployment of three developmental programs: branching morphogenesis to expand progenitors and build a tree-like tubular network, airway differentiation to specify cells for the proximal conducting airways, and alveolar differentiation to specify cells for the peripheral gas exchange region. Each developmental program has its unique morphological features and molecular control mechanisms; their spatiotemporal coordination can be accounted for in a balanced progenitor model where progenitors balance between alternative developmental programs in response to spatiotemporal cues. This model integrates progenitor morphogenesis and differentiation, and provides new insights to lung immaturity in preterm birth and lung evolution. Advanced gene targeting and 3D imaging tools are needed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of lung epithelial progenitors on molecular, cellular, and morphological levels. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.

Two nested developmental waves demarcate a compartment boundary in the mouse lung

The lung is a branched tubular network with two distinct compartments — the proximal conducting airways and the peripheral gas exchange region — separated by a discrete boundary termed the bronchoalveolar duct junction (BADJ). Here we image the developing mouse lung in three dimensions and show that two nested developmental waves demarcate the BADJ under the control of a global hormonal signal. A first wave of branching morphogenesis progresses throughout embryonic development, generating branches for both compartments. A second wave of conducting airway differentiation follows the first wave but terminates earlier, specifying the proximal compartment and setting the BADJ. The second wave is terminated by a glucocorticoid signaling: premature activation or loss of glucocorticoid signaling causes a proximal or distal shift, respectively, in BADJ location. The results demonstrate a novel mechanism of boundary formation in complex, three-dimensional organs and provide new insights into glucocorticoid therapies for lung defects in premature birth.

Mesenchymal glucocorticoid receptor regulates the development of multiple cell layers of the mouse lung

Endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) hormones, signaling via the GC receptor (GR), are essential for normal lung development, and synthetic GCs are routinely used to treat respiratory disorders of very preterm babies. Germline GR knockout (GR(-/-)) mice show immature lung morphology and severe lung cellular hyperplasia during embryogenesis and die at birth due to respiratory failure. Two recent studies have reported contradictory results regarding the necessity for GR expression in specific lung germ layers during respiratory maturation. We further investigate in detail the lung phenotype in mice with a conditional deletion of GR in the endothelium, mesenchyme, and lung epithelium. We show that loss of GR in the mesenchyme alone produces a retarded lung phenotype almost identical to that of germline GR(-/-) mice, including severe postnatal lethality and lung cell hyperplasia. Loss of GR in lung epithelial cells and the endothelium had no gross effect on survival or lung morphology, but loss of epithelial GR caused increased cell proliferation in multiple compartments. Mesenchymal GR loss also produced increased epithelial cell proliferation, implying the existence of GC-regulated germ layer cross-talk. Protein levels of GR-mediated cell cycle regulators, including the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(CIP1) and the growth factor midkine, were unaffected by mesenchymal GR deletion, yet expression of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan versican was up-regulated in the distal lung on loss of mesenchymal GR. These results show that GR-mediated signaling from the mesenchyme regulates respiratory maturation and ultimately survival at birth and that a key GR-repressed transcriptional target in lung mesenchymal cells is versican.

Glucocorticoid metabolism in the developing lung: adrenal-like synthesis pathway

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are essential to normal lung development. They participate in the regulation of important developmental events including morphological changes, and lung maturation leading to the surge of surfactant synthesis by type II epithelial cells. Antenatal GC is administered to mothers at risk of premature delivery to reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Sex differences were reported in RDS, in the efficiency of antenatal GC treatment independently of surfactant levels, and in surfactant lipid synthesis. Type II epithelial cell maturation is regulated by epithelial-fibroblast cell-cell communication and involves paracrine factors secreted by fibroblasts under the stimulatory effect of GC. This positive action of GC can be inhibited by androgens through the androgen receptor (AR) present in fibroblasts. In fact, lung development is regulated not only by GC and androgens but also by GC and androgen metabolisms within the developing lung. We recently reviewed the metabolism of androgens in the fetal lung [45]. Here, we review multiple aspects of GC metabolism in the developing lung including inactivation and re-activation by 11β-HSDs, synthesis from the adrenal-like synthesis pathway expressed within the lung and the putative role of CRH and ACTH originating from lung in the regulation of this pathway. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Pregnancy and Steroids'.

Ceramides: a potential therapeutic target in pulmonary emphysema

Background

The aim of this manuscript was to characterize airway ceramide profiles in a rodent model of elastase-induced emphysema and to examine the effect of pharmacological intervention directed towards ceramide metabolism.

Methods

Adult mice were anesthetized and treated with an intratracheal instillation of elastase. Lung function was measured, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid collected and histological and morphometrical analysis of lung tissue performed within 3 weeks after elastase injection, with and without sphingomyelinase inhibitors or serine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor. Ceramides in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were quantified by tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

BAL fluid showed a transient increase in total protein and IgM, and activated macrophages and neutrophils. Ceramides were transiently upregulated at day 2 after elastase treatment. Histology showed persistent patchy alveolar destruction at day 2 after elastase installation. Acid and neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitors had no effect on BAL ceramide levels, lung function or histology. Addition of a serine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor ameliorated lung function changes and reduced ceramides in BAL.

Conclusions

Ceramides were increased during the acute inflammatory phase of elastase-induced lung injury. Since addition of a serine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor diminished the rise in ceramides and ameliorated lung function, ceramides likely contributed to the early phase of alveolar destruction and are a potential therapeutic target in the elastase model of lung emphysema.

Lung epithelial branching program antagonizes alveolar differentiation

Mammalian organs, including the lung and kidney, often adopt a branched structure to achieve high efficiency and capacity of their physiological functions. Formation of a functional lung requires two developmental processes: branching morphogenesis, which builds a tree-like tubular network, and alveolar differentiation, which generates specialized epithelial cells for gas exchange. Much progress has been made to understand each of the two processes individually; however, it is not clear whether the two processes are coordinated and how they are deployed at the correct time and location. Here we show that an epithelial branching morphogenesis program antagonizes alveolar differentiation in the mouse lung. We find a negative correlation between branching morphogenesis and alveolar differentiation temporally, spatially, and evolutionarily. Gain-of-function experiments show that hyperactive small GTPase Kras expands the branching program and also suppresses molecular and cellular differentiation of alveolar cells. Loss-of-function experiments show that SRY-box containing gene 9 (Sox9) functions downstream of Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf)/Kras to promote branching and also suppresses premature initiation of alveolar differentiation. We thus propose that lung epithelial progenitors continuously balance between branching morphogenesis and alveolar differentiation, and such a balance is mediated by dual-function regulators, including Kras and Sox9. The resulting temporal delay of differentiation by the branching program may provide new insights to lung immaturity in preterm neonates and the increase in organ complexity during evolution.

Glucocorticoid receptor signaling in health and disease

Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones regulated in a circadian and stress-associated manner to maintain various metabolic and homeostatic functions that are necessary for life. Synthetic glucocorticoids are widely prescribed drugs for many conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and inflammatory disorders of the eye. Research in the past few years has begun to unravel the profound complexity of glucocorticoid signaling and has contributed remarkably to improved therapeutic strategies. Glucocorticoids signal through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a member of the superfamily of nuclear receptors, in both genomic and non-genomic ways in almost every tissue in the human body. In this review, we provide an update on glucocorticoid receptor signaling and highlight the role of GR signaling in physiological and pathophysiological conditions in the major organ systems in the human body.

Deletion of mesenchymal glucocorticoid receptor attenuates embryonic lung development and abdominal wall closure

As a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is essential for normal embryonic development. To date, the role of mesenchymal glucocorticoid signaling during development has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the role of the GR during embryogenesis specifically in mesenchymal tissues. To this aim, we crossed GRflox mice with Dermo1-Cre mice to generate GR(Dermo1) mice, where the GR gene was deleted within mesenchymal cells. Compared to their wild type littermates, GR(Dermo1) mice displayed severe pulmonary atelectasis, defects in abdominal wall formation resulting in intestinal herniation, abnormal extracellular matrix synthesis in connective tissues and high postnatal lethality. Lungs of GR(Dermo1) mice failed to progress from the canalicular to saccular stage, as evidenced by the presence of immature air sacs, thickened interstitial mesenchyme and an underdeveloped vascular network between E17.5 and E18.5. Furthermore, myofibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells, although present in normal numbers in GR(Dermo1) animals, were characterized by significantly reduced elastin synthesis, whilst epithelial lining cells of the immature saccules were poorly differentiated. A marked reduction in normal elastin and collagen deposits were also observed in connective tissues adjacent to the umbilical hernia. This study demonstrates that eliminating the GR in cells of the mesenchymal lineage results in marked effects on interstitial fibroblast function, including a significant decrease in elastin synthesis. This results in lung atelectasis and postnatal lethality, as well as additional and hitherto unrecognized developmental defects in abdominal wall formation. In addition, altered glucocorticoid signaling in the mesenchyme attenuates normal lung epithelial differentiation.

A Relationship between Epithelial Maturation, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Premature infants frequently develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Lung immaturity and impaired epithelial differentiation contribute together with invasive oxygen treatment to BPD onset and disease progression. Substantial evidence suggests that prematurity is associated with long term pulmonary consequences. Moreover, there is increasing concern that lung immaturity at birth may increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The mechanisms contributing to this phenomenon remains unknown, largely as a consequence of inadequate experimental models and clinical follow-up studies. Recent evidence suggests that defective transcriptional regulation of epithelial differentiation and maturation may contribute to BPD pathogenesis as well as early onset of COPD. The transcriptional regulators CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)α and C/EBPβ, SMAD family member (Smad)3, GATA binding protein (GATA)6, and NK2 homeobox (NKX)2-1 are reported to be involved in processes contributing to pathogenesis of both BPD and COPD. Increased knowledge of the mechanisms contributing to early onset COPD among BPD survivors could translate into improved treatment strategies and reduced frequency of respiratory disorders among adult survivors of BPD. In this paper, we introduce critical transcriptional regulators in epithelial differentiation and summarize the current knowledge on the contribution of impaired epithelial maturation to the pathogenesis of inflammatory lung disorders.

Endothelial glucocorticoid receptor is required for protection against sepsis

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is ubiquitously expressed on nearly all cell types, but tissue-specific deletion of this receptor can produce dramatic whole organism phenotypes. In this study we investigated the role of the endothelial GR in sepsis in vivo and in vitro. Mice with an endothelial-specific GR deletion and controls were treated with 12.5 mg/kg LPS and phenotyped. Mice lacking GR showed significantly increased mortality, more hemodynamic instability, higher nitric oxide levels, and higher levels of the inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) compared with controls. There were no differences in rates of apoptosis or macrophage recruitment between the two groups. Both endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression were increased after LPS challenge in mice with endothelial GR deficiency, and aminoguanidine, a specific iNOS inhibitor in mice was able to rescue hemodynamic collapse in these animals. In vitro, human umbilical vein cells (HUVECs) subjected to GR knockdown by siRNA showed increased expression of eNOS at baseline that persisted after treatment with LPS. Both eNOS and iNOS mRNA was increased by qPCR. In HUVECs lacking GR, NF-κB levels and NF-κB-dependent genes tissue factor and IL-6 were increased compared with controls. Thus, endothelial GR is a critical regulator of NF-κB activation and nitric oxide synthesis in sepsis.

Maternal synchronization of gestational length and lung maturation

Among all mammals, fetal growth and organ maturation must be precisely synchronized with gestational length to optimize survival at birth. Lack of pulmonary maturation is the major cause of infant mortality in preterm birth. Whether fetal or maternal genotypes influence the close relationship between the length of gestation and lung function at birth is unknown. Structural and biochemical indicators of pulmonary maturity were measured in two mouse strains whose gestational length differed by one day. Shorter gestation in C57BL/6J mice was associated with advanced morphological and biochemical pulmonary development and better perinatal survival when compared to A/J pups born prematurely. After ovarian transplantation, A/J pups were born early in C57BL/6J dams and survived after birth, consistent with maternal control gestational length. Expression of genes critical for perinatal lung function was assessed in A/J pups born after ovarian transfer. A subset of mRNAs important for perinatal respiratory adaptation was selectively induced in the A/J pups born after ovarian transfer. mRNAs precociously induced after ovarian transfer indicated an important role for the transcription factors C/EBPα and CREB in maternally induced lung maturation. We conclude that fetal lung maturation is determined by both fetal and maternal genotypes. Ovarian transfer experiments demonstrated that maternal genotype determines the timing of birth and can influence fetal lung growth and maturation to ensure perinatal survival.

Glucocorticoid activity during lung maturation is essential in mesenchymal and less in alveolar epithelial cells

Corticosteroid treatment is an established therapy for preterm infants, and germline inactivation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in the mouse leads to respiratory failure and postnatal lethality. Although glucocorticoids have been thought to critically act in epithelial cells inducing the functional maturation of the lung, inactivation of the GR gene exclusively in the epithelium of the developing murine lung did not impair survival. In contrast, mice lacking GR specifically in mesenchyme-derived cells displayed a phenotype strongly reminiscent of GR knockout animals and died immediately after birth. Detailed analysis of gene expression allows the conclusion that GR acts in cells of the fibroblast lineage controlling their proliferation rate and the composition of the extracellular matrix.

Wnt-4 protects thymic epithelial cells against dexamethasone-induced senescence

Glucocorticoids are widely used immunosuppressive drugs in treatment of autoimmune diseases and hematological malignancies. Glucocorticoids are particularly effective immune suppressants, because they induce rapid peripheral T cell and thymocyte apoptosis resulting in impaired T cell-dependent immune responses. Although glucocorticoids can induce apoptotic cell death directly in developing thymocytes, how exogenous glucocorticoids affect the thymic epithelial network that provides the microenvironment for T cell development is still largely unknown. In the present work, we show that primary thymic epithelial cells (TECs) express glucocorticoid receptors and that high-dosage dexamethasone induces degeneration of the thymic epithelium within 24 h of treatment. Changes in organ morphology are accompanied by a decrease in the TEC transcription factor FoxN1 and its regulator Wnt-4 parallel with upregulation of lamina-associated polypeptide 2α and peroxisome proliferator activator receptor γ, two characteristic molecular markers for adipose thymic involution. Overexpression of Wnt-4, however, can prevent upregulation of adipose differentiation-related aging markers, suggesting an important role of Wnt-4 in thymic senescence.

Mesenchymal nuclear factor I B regulates cell proliferation and epithelial differentiation during lung maturation

The Nuclear factor I (NFI) transcription factor family consists of four genes (Nfia, Nfib, Nfic and Nfix) that regulate the development of multiple organ systems in mice and humans. Nfib is expressed in both lung mesenchyme and epithelium and mice lacking Nfib have severe lung maturation defects and die at birth. Here we continue our analysis of the phenotype of Nfib⁻/⁻ lungs and show that Nfib specifically in lung mesenchyme controls late epithelial and mesenchymal cell proliferation and differentiation. There are more PCNA, BrdU, PHH3 and Ki67 positive cells in Nfib⁻/⁻ lungs than in wild type lungs at E18.5 and this increase in proliferation marker expression is seen in both epithelial and mesenchymal cells. The loss of Nfib in all lung cells decreases the expression of markers for alveolar epithelial cells (Aqp5 and Sftpc), Clara cells (Scgb1a1) and ciliated cells (Foxj1) in E18.5 lungs. To test for a specific role of Nfib in lung mesenchyme we generated and analyzed Nfib(flox/flox), Dermo1-Cre mice. Loss of Nfib only in mesenchyme results in decreased Aqp5, Sftpc and Foxj1 expression, increased cell proliferation, and a defect in sacculation similar to that seen in Nfib⁻/⁻ mice. In contrast, mesenchyme specific loss of Nfib had no effect on the expression of Scgb1a1 in the airway. Microarray and QPCR analyses indicate that the loss of Nfib in lung mesenchyme affects the expression of genes associated with extracellular matrix, cell adhesion and FGF signaling which could affect distal lung maturation. Our data indicate that mesenchymal Nfib regulates both mesenchymal and epithelial cell proliferation through multiple pathways and that mesenchymal NFI-B-mediated signals are essential for the maturation of distal lung epithelium.