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Deglycosylated Azithromycin Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via the TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway.

ABSTRACT: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, life-threatening lung disease characterized by the proliferation of myofibroblasts and deposition of extracellular matrix that results in irreversible distortion of the lung structure and the formation of focal fibrosis. The molecular mechanism of IPF is not fully understood, and there is no satisfactory treatment. However, most studies suggest that abnormal activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) can promote fibroblast activation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) to induce pulmonary fibrosis. Deglycosylated azithromycin (Deg-AZM) is a compound we previously obtained by removing glycosyls from azithromycin; it was demonstrated to exert little or no antibacterial effects. Here, we discovered a new function of Deg-AZM in pulmonary fibrosis. In vivo experiments showed that Deg-AZM could significantly reduce bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and restore respiratory function. Further study revealed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Deg-AZM in vivo. In vitro experiments showed that Deg-AZM inhibited TGF-β1 signaling, weakened the activation and differentiation of lung fibroblasts, and inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial cells. In conclusion, our findings show that Deg-AZM exerts antifibrotic effects by inhibiting TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast activation and EMT.

SUBMITTER: Ruan H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8126120 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundPulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and irreversible disease for which therapeutic options are currently limited. A recent in vivo study showed that tenofovir, a nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor, had direct antifibrotic effects on skin and liver fibrosis. Another study in vitro revealed that NS5ATP9 inhibited the activation of human hepatic stellate cells. Because of the similarity of fibrotic diseases, we hypothesized that tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), the prodrug of tenofovir, and NS5ATP9, is related to and plays a role in the suppression of pulmonary fibrosis.MethodsWe investigated the influence of NS5ATP9 on fibrosis in vitro. Human lung fibroblasts (HFL1) were transfected with short interfering RNAs or overexpression plasmids of NS5ATP9 before stimulation by human recombinant transforming growth factor-β1. The effect of TAF was evaluated in a bleomycin-induced fibrosis murine model. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with bleomycin on day 0 by intratracheal injection and intragastrically administered TAF or vehicle. Left lung sections were fixed for histological analysis, while homogenates of the right lung sections and HFL1 cells were analyzed by western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.ResultsNS5ATP9 suppressed the activation of lung fibroblasts. Upregulation of collagen type 3 (α 1 chain) and α-smooth muscle actin was observed in HFL1 cells when NS5ATP9 was silenced, and vice-versa. TAF also showed anti-fibrotic effects in mice, as demonstrated by histological analysis of fibrosis and expression of extracellular matrix components in the lung sections. Additionally, TAF inhibited transforming growth factor-β1 and phosphorylated-Smad3 synthesis in HFL1 cells and the murine model, which was accompanied by upregulation of NS5ATP9.ConclusionsOur results suggest that NS5ATP9 forms a negative feedback pathway in pulmonary fibrosis and TAF has anti-fibrotic properties as it upregulates the expression level of NS5ATP9. As TAF has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in humans, TAF and NS5ATP9 may be useful for developing novel therapeutics for pulmonary fibrosis.

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Deglycosylated Azithromycin Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via the TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway.

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