Mesenchymal-specific deletion of C/EBP? suppresses pulmonary fibrosis.
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ABSTRACT: The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ? (C/EBP?) regulates a variety of factors and cellular responses associated with pulmonary fibrosis. To distinguish its role in the mesenchyme from that in other compartments, the effects of mesenchymal-specific deletion of C/EBP? on pulmonary fibrosis was examined. Crossing of mice with the floxed C/EBP? gene with ?2(I) collagen enhancer-CreER(T)-bearing mice successfully generated progeny with a conditional knockout (CKO) of C/EBP? in collagen I-expressing ("mesenchymal") cells only on treatment with tamoxifen (C/EBP? CKO). When treated with an endotracheal bleomycin injection, C/EBP? CKO mice showed significant attenuation of pulmonary fibrosis relative to control C/EBP?-intact mice. C/EBP? CKO mice also had reduced myofibroblasts in the lung. However, no significant differences in inflammatory/immune cell influx were noted in the mutant mice relative to the control mice. DNA microarray and real-time PCR analyses identified a series of myofibroblast differentiation regulators as novel target genes of C/EBP?. Interestingly, C/EBP? deficiency caused a marked induction of matrix metalloproteinase 12 expression, suggesting its potential role as a repressor, which could account for the noted reduction in fibrosis in the C/EBP?-deficient mice. Thus, these findings indicate an essential role for C/EBP? in the mesenchymal compartment in pulmonary fibrosis that is independent of its effects on inflammation or immune cell infiltration.
SUBMITTER: Hu B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3378850 | biostudies-other | 2012 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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