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Ciminieri C, Woest ME, Reynaert NL, Heijink IH, Wardenaar R, Spierings DCJ, Brandsma CA, Königshoff M, Gosens R. IL-1β Induces a Pro-Inflammatory Fibroblast Microenvironment that Impairs Lung Progenitors' Function. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2023; 68:444-455. [PMID: 36608844 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0209oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by a persistent inflammatory state in the lungs and defective tissue repair. While the inflammatory response in COPD patients is well characterized and known to be exaggerated during exacerbations, its contribution to lung injury and abnormal repair is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate how the inflammatory microenvironment affects the epithelial progenitors and their supporting mesenchymal niche cells involved in tissue repair of the distal lung. We focused on IL-1β, a key inflammatory mediator that is elevated during exacerbations of COPD, and used an organoid model of lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts to assess the effect of IL-1β treatment on these cells' transcriptome and secreted factors. While direct treatment of the lung organoids with IL-1β promoted organoids growth, this switched towards inhibition when added as fibroblasts' pre-treatment followed by organoids treatment. We then investigated the IL-1β-driven mechanisms in the fibroblasts and found an inflammatory response related to CXCL chemokines; we confirmed that these chemokines were responsible for the impaired organoids growth and found that targeting their CXCR1/2 receptors or the IL-1β intracellular signaling reduced the pro-inflammatory response and restored organoids growth. These data demonstrate that IL-1β alters the fibroblasts' state by promoting a distinct inflammatory response, switching their supportive function on epithelial progenitors towards an inhibitory one in an organoid assay. These results imply that chronic inflammation functions as a shift towards inhibition of repair, thereby contributing to chronic inflammatory diseases like COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manon E Woest
- University of Groningen, 3647, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Niki L Reynaert
- Maastricht University, 5211, Respiratory medicine, Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
| | - Irene H Heijink
- University Medical Centre Groningen, 10173, Pulmonology, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Corry-Anke Brandsma
- University Medical Centre Groningen, 10173, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- University of Pittsburgh, 6614, Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, 3647, Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen, Netherlands;
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Wu X, Ciminieri C, Bos IST, Woest ME, D'Ambrosi A, Wardenaar R, Spierings DCJ, Königshoff M, Schmidt M, Kistemaker LEM, Gosens R. Diesel exhaust particles distort lung epithelial progenitors and their fibroblast niche. Environ Pollut 2022; 305:119292. [PMID: 35439594 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease characterized by inflammation and impaired tissue regeneration, and is reported as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Environmental pollution and specifically motor vehicle emissions are known to play a role in the pathogenesis of COPD, but little is still known about the molecular mechanisms that are altered following diesel exhaust particles (DEP) exposure. Here we used lung organoids derived from co-culture of alveolar epithelial progenitors and fibroblasts to investigate the effect of DEP on the epithelial-mesenchymal signaling niche in the distal lung, which is essential for tissue repair. We found that DEP treatment impaired the number as well as the average diameter of both airway and alveolar type of lung organoids. Bulk RNA-sequencing of re-sorted epithelial cells and fibroblasts following organoid co-culture shows that the Nrf2 pathway, which regulates antioxidants' activity, was upregulated in both cell populations in response to DEP; and WNT/β-catenin signaling, which is essential to promote epithelial repair, was downregulated in DEP-exposed epithelial cells. We show that pharmacological treatment with anti-oxidant agents such as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or Mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ) reversed the effect of DEP on organoids growth. Additionally, a WNT/β-catenin activator (CHIR99021) successfully restored WNT signaling and promoted organoid growth upon DEP exposure. We propose that targeting oxidative stress and specific signaling pathways affected by DEP in the distal lung may represent a strategy to restore tissue repair in COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chiara Ciminieri
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - I Sophie T Bos
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Manon E Woest
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquilo BV, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Angela D'Ambrosi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - René Wardenaar
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Diana C J Spierings
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Martina Schmidt
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Loes E M Kistemaker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquilo BV, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquilo BV, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Hu Y, Ciminieri C, Gosens R, Evans C, Königshoff M. Club Cell Functions As A Wnt‐responsible Progenitor For Tissue Repair In COPD. FASEB J 2021. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.04327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hu
- University of ColoradoAuroraCO
| | | | | | - Christopher Evans
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care MedicineUniversity of Colorado Denver School of MedicineUniversity of ColoradoAuroraCO
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPA
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Abstract
The main physiological function of the lung is gas exchange, mediated at the interface between the alveoli and the pulmonary microcapillary network and facilitated by conducting airway structures that regulate the transport of these gases from and to the alveoli. Exposure to microbial and environmental factors such as allergens, viruses, air pollution, and smoke contributes to the development of chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and lung cancer. Respiratory diseases as a cluster are the commonest cause of chronic disease and of hospitalization in children and are among the three most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the adult population worldwide. Many of these chronic respiratory diseases are associated with inflammation and structural remodelling of the airways and/or alveolar tissues. They can often only be treated symptomatically with no disease-modifying therapies that normalize the pathological tissue destruction driven by inflammation and remodelling. In search for novel therapeutic strategies for these diseases, several lines of evidence revealed the WNT pathway as an emerging target for regenerative strategies in the lung. WNT proteins, their receptors, and signalling effectors have central regulatory roles under (patho)physiological conditions underpinning lung function and (chronic) lung diseases and we summarize these roles and discuss how pharmacological targeting of the WNT pathway may be utilized for the treatment of chronic lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hu
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Chiara Ciminieri
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Qianjiang Hu
- Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Munich, Germany
| | - Mareike Lehmann
- Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Munich, Germany. .,Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Hu Y, Ng-Blichfeldt JP, Ota C, Ciminieri C, Ren W, Hiemstra PS, Stolk J, Gosens R, Königshoff M. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for regenerative potential of distal lung epithelial progenitor cells in homeostasis and emphysema. Stem Cells 2020; 38:1467-1478. [PMID: 32526076 PMCID: PMC7116441 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates progenitor cell fate decisions during lung development and in various adult tissues. Ectopic activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes tissue repair in emphysema, a devastating lung disease with progressive loss of parenchymal lung tissue. The identity of Wnt/β-catenin responsive progenitor cells and the potential impact of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on adult distal lung epithelial progenitor cell function in emphysema are poorly understood. Here, we used TCF/ Lef:H2B/GFP reporter mice to investigate the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in lung organoid formation. We identified an organoid-forming adult distal lung epithelial progenitor cell population characterized by a low Wnt/β-catenin activity, which was enriched in club and alveolar epithelial type (AT)II cells. Endogenous Wnt/β-catenin activity was required for the initiation of multiple subtypes of distal lung organoids derived from the Wntlow epithelial progenitors. Further ectopic Wnt/β-catenin activation specifically led to an increase in alveolar organoid number; however, the subsequent proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells in the organoids did not require constitutive Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Distal lung epithelial progenitor cells derived from the mouse model of elastase-induced emphysema exhibited reduced organoid forming capacity. This was rescued by Wnt/β-catenin signal activation, which largely increased the number of alveolar organoids. Together, our study reveals a novel mechanism of lung epithelial progenitor cell activation in homeostasis and emphysema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hu
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - John-Poul Ng-Blichfeldt
- Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Member of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany.,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chiharu Ota
- Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Member of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Chiara Ciminieri
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wenhua Ren
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Pieter S Hiemstra
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Stolk
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.,Lung Repair and Regeneration Unit, Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, University Hospital Grosshadern, Member of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
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Wu X, van Dijk EM, Ng-Blichfeldt JP, Bos IST, Ciminieri C, Königshoff M, Kistemaker LEM, Gosens R. Mesenchymal WNT-5A/5B Signaling Represses Lung Alveolar Epithelial Progenitors. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101147. [PMID: 31557955 PMCID: PMC6829372 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a worldwide concern with high morbidity and mortality, and is believed to be associated with accelerated ageing of the lung. Alveolar abnormalities leading to emphysema are a key characteristic of COPD. Pulmonary alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AT2) produce surfactant and function as progenitors for type 1 cells. Increasing evidence shows elevated WNT-5A/B expression in ageing and in COPD that may contribute to the disease process. However, supportive roles for WNT-5A/B in lung regeneration were also reported in different studies. Thus, we explored the role of WNT-5A/B on alveolar epithelial progenitors (AEPs) in more detail. We established a Precision-Cut-Lung Slices (PCLS) model and a lung organoid model by co-culturing epithelial cells (EpCAM+/CD45-/CD31-) with fibroblasts in matrigel in vitro to study the impact of WNT-5A and WNT-5B. Our results show that WNT-5A and WNT-5B repress the growth of epithelial progenitors with WNT-5B preferentially restraining the growth and differentiation of alveolar epithelial progenitors. We provide evidence that both WNT-5A and WNT-5B negatively regulate the canonical WNT signaling pathway in alveolar epithelium. Taken together, these findings reveal the functional impact of WNT-5A/5B signaling on alveolar epithelial progenitors in the lung, which may contribute to defective alveolar repair in COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Eline M van Dijk
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - John-Poul Ng-Blichfeldt
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - I Sophie T Bos
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Chiara Ciminieri
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, CO 80045 Aurora, USA.
| | - Melanie Königshoff
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, CO 80045 Aurora, USA.
| | - Loes E M Kistemaker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Aquilo BV, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
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