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Title: Role of human pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1 in cell activation and migration in experimental silicosis

Journal Article · · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
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  1. Department of Physiology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009 (China)
  2. Nine Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nanjing Chest Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029 (China)
  3. Neurobiology Laboratory, New Drug Screening Centre, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009 (China)
  4. Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009 (China)

Background: Silicosis is a systemic disease caused by inhaling silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}). Phagocytosis of SiO{sub 2} in the lung initiates an inflammatory cascade that results in fibroblast proliferation and migration and subsequent fibrosis. Clinical evidence indicates that the activation of alveolar macrophages by SiO{sub 2} produces rapid and sustained inflammation that is characterized by the generation of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), which induces fibrosis. Pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1 may play a critical role in fibroblast proliferation and migration. Methods and results: Experiments using primary cultured adult human pulmonary fibroblasts (HPF-a) demonstrated the following results: 1) SiO{sub 2} treatment resulted in the rapid and sustained induction of MCP-1 as well as the elevation of the CC chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) protein levels; 2) pretreatment of HPF-a with RS-102895, a specific CCR2 inhibitor, abolished the SiO{sub 2}-induced increase in cell activation and migration in both 2D and 3D culture systems; and 3) RNA interference targeting CCR2 prevented the SiO{sub 2}-induced increase in cell migration. Conclusion: These data demonstrated that the up-regulation of pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1 is involved in pulmonary fibroblast migration induced by SiO{sub 2}. CCR2 was also up-regulated in response to SiO{sub 2}, and this up-regulation facilitated the effect of MCP-1 on fibroblasts. Our study deciphered the link between fibroblast-derived MCP-1 and SiO{sub 2}-induced cell migration. This finding provides novel insight into the potential of MCP-1 in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for silicosis. - Highlights: • Role of pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1 in experimental silicosis was studied. • SiO{sub 2} induced MCP-1 release from cultured human pulmonary fibroblast (HPF-a). • SiO{sub 2} directly activated HPF-a via the MCP-1/CCR2 pathway. • SiO{sub 2} increased HPF-a migration in both 2D and 3D model via the MCP-1/CCR2 pathway. • RNA-i of MCP-1/CCR2 decreased HPF-a activation and migration induced by SiO{sub 2}.

OSTI ID:
22687776
Journal Information:
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 288, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0041-008X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English