Project description:WT mice and claudin 4 KO mice were exposed to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) for 2 hours. We found that in some Cldn4 KO mice, injury was similar to WT, while in others, injury was higher, as assessed by amount of protein leak into broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. We performed RNAseq to find which genes were responsible for higher injury in Cldn4 KO mice. WT mice and claudin 4 KO mice were exposed to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) for 2 hours. RNA were extracted from whole lungs and RNA sequencing was performed. The samples are (all in duplicates): WT no VILI, Cldn4 KO no VILI, WT VILI, Cldn4 KO VILI with similar injury to WT (Cldn4 KOlow), and Cldn4 KO VILI with higher injury than WT (Cldn4 KOhigh)
Project description:WT mice and claudin 4 KO mice were exposed to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) for 2 hours. We found that in some Cldn4 KO mice, injury was similar to WT, while in others, injury was higher, as assessed by amount of protein leak into broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. We performed RNAseq to find which genes were responsible for higher injury in Cldn4 KO mice.
Project description:To study the effects of previous exposure to mechanical ventilation may modify the development of Ventilator-induced lung injury, preconditioning was induced by low-pressure ventilation for 90 minutes. After 1 week, intact (sham) and preconditioned mice were sacrificed, the lungs extracted and gene expression measured in order to identify differences responsible for the observed tolerance to ventilator-induced lung injury observed in preconditioned animals. 6 samples were analyzed, from 3 intact (sham) and 3 preconditioned CD1 mice.
Project description:To study the effects of previous exposure to mechanical ventilation may modify the development of Ventilator-induced lung injury, preconditioning was induced by low-pressure ventilation for 90 minutes. After 1 week, intact (sham) and preconditioned mice were sacrificed, the lungs extracted and gene expression measured in order to identify differences responsible for the observed tolerance to ventilator-induced lung injury observed in preconditioned animals.
Project description:Claudin proteins are major constituents of epithelial and endothelial tight junctions (TJ), where they serve as regulators of paracellular permeability to ions and solutes. Claudin-18, a member of the large claudin family, is highly expressed in lung epithelium. To elucidate the role of claudin-18 in alveolar epithelial barrier function and fluid homeostasis, we generated claudin-18 knockout (C18 KO) mice. Increased alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) observed in C18 KO mice may have accounted for absence of lung edema despite increased alveolar solute permeability compared to wild type (WT) controls. Higher AFC in C18 KO mice was associated with higher Na-K-ATPase activity and increased expression of the Na-K-ATPase β1 subunit compared to WT controls. Consistent with in vivo findings, alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) monolayers derived from C18 KO mice exhibited lower transepithelial electrical resistance (RT) accompanied by increased solute and ion permeability without changes in ion selectivity. Expression of claudin-3 and claudin-4 was markedly increased in whole lung and in freshly isolated AEC from C18 KO mice, while claudin-5 was unchanged. In contrast, occludin, another major component of the TJ complex, was significantly decreased in C18 KO lung. Further analysis revealed rearrangements in the F-actin cytoskeleton in C18 KO MAECM. These findings demonstrate a crucial non-redundant role for claudin-18 in regulation of alveolar epithelial tight junction composition and permeability to ions and solutes. Importantly, increased AFC in C18 KO mice identifies additional roles for claudin-18 in alveolar fluid homeostasis beyond its direct contributions to barrier properties of the alveolar epithelium.
Project description:Claudin proteins are major constituents of epithelial and endothelial tight junctions (TJ), where they serve as regulators of paracellular permeability to ions and solutes. Claudin-18, a member of the large claudin family, is highly expressed in lung epithelium. To elucidate the role of claudin-18 in alveolar epithelial barrier function and fluid homeostasis, we generated claudin-18 knockout (C18 KO) mice. Increased alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) observed in C18 KO mice may have accounted for absence of lung edema despite increased alveolar solute permeability compared to wild type (WT) controls. Higher AFC in C18 KO mice was associated with higher Na-K-ATPase activity and increased expression of the Na-K-ATPase β1 subunit compared to WT controls. Consistent with in vivo findings, alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) monolayers derived from C18 KO mice exhibited lower transepithelial electrical resistance (RT) accompanied by increased solute and ion permeability without changes in ion selectivity. Expression of claudin-3 and claudin-4 was markedly increased in whole lung and in freshly isolated AEC from C18 KO mice, while claudin-5 was unchanged. In contrast, occludin, another major component of the TJ complex, was significantly decreased in C18 KO lung. Further analysis revealed rearrangements in the F-actin cytoskeleton in C18 KO MAECM. These findings demonstrate a crucial non-redundant role for claudin-18 in regulation of alveolar epithelial tight junction composition and permeability to ions and solutes. Importantly, increased AFC in C18 KO mice identifies additional roles for claudin-18 in alveolar fluid homeostasis beyond its direct contributions to barrier properties of the alveolar epithelium. Animals with a ubiquitous knockout (C18 KO) were obtained by crossing mice harboring a conditional (floxed) allele of claudin-18 (Cldn18F/F) with CMV-cre deleter mice to delete exons 2 and 3 by Cre/loxP recombination.
Project description:Background: Mechanical ventilation causes ventilator-induced lung injury in animals and humans. Mitogen-activated protein kinases have been implicated in ventilator-induced lung injury though their functional significance remains incomplete. We characterize the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/ mitogen activated protein kinase kinase-3 and c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase-1 in ventilator-induced lung injury and investigate novel independent mechanisms contributing to lung injury during mechanical ventilation. Methodology and Principle Findings: C57/BL6 wild-type mice and mice genetically deleted for mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-3 (mkk-3-/-) or c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase-1 (jnk1-/-) were ventilated, and lung injury parameters were assessed. We demonstrate that mkk3-/- or jnk1-/- mice displayed significantly reduced inflammatory lung injury and apoptosis relative to wild-type mice. Since jnk1-/- mice were highly resistant to ventilator-induced lung injury, we performed comprehensive gene expression profiling of ventilated wild-type or jnk1-/- mice to identify novel candidate genes which may play critical roles in the pathogenesis of ventilator-induced lung injury. Microarray analysis revealed many novel genes differentially expressed by ventilation including matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP8) and GADD45a. Functional characterization of MMP8 revealed that mmp8-/- mice were sensitized to ventilator-induced lung injury with increased lung vascular permeability. Conclusions: We demonstrate that mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways mediate inflammatory lung injury during ventilator-induced lung injury. C-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase was also involved in alveolo-capillary leakage and edema formation, whereas MMP8 inhibited alveolo-capillary protein leakage. Keywords: response to injury, genetically modified mouse
Project description:Acute lung injury (ALI), a major cause of acute respiratory failure with high morbidity and mortality, isare characterized by significant pulmonary inflammation and both alveolar and vascular barriers dysfunction. In Pprior studies have highlighted the role of nonmuscle myosin light chain kinase (nmMLCK) as an essential element of inflammatory response with MYLK polymorphisms associated withwhich alters ALI susceptibility. In the present study we sought to further define nmMLCK in acute inflammatory syndromes and examined We examined nmMLCK as a molecular target involved in increase of lung epithelial and endothelial barrier permeability. We utilized in two muirine models of inflammatory lung injury: intratracheal administration of endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2.5 mg/kg) and VILI (ventilator-induced lung injury, tidal volume 40ml/kg). Two complementary strategies were used to reduce nmMLCK activity or expression. We found that membrane permeant oligopeptide, PIK, inhibited MLC kinase activity in vitro in aand displayed dose-dependent mannerinhibition of MLC kinase activity.. Intravenous delivery of PIK significantly attenuated LPS-induced lung inflammation reflected by decreasing accumulation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) albumin (~ 50% reduction) as well as reduction in BAL cells, tissue MPO activity and tissue albumin in lung homogenates. A second regulatory approach explored targeting murine nmMLCK by administration of siRNA (5mg/kg) 3 days prior to LPS challenge. siRNA decreased of nmMLCK expression in lungs (~ 70% reduction) and resulted in significant attenuation LPS-induced lung inflammation (~ 40% reduction) as reflected by decreased BAL protein level and BAL cells. For targeting pulmonary vessels nmMLCK we used ACE antibody-conjugated liposomes with nmMLCK siRNA in murine ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) model. Protein silencing of nmMLCK was evident by immunohistochemical analysis with a decrease in relative intensity of fluorescence in lung vessels compared with control animals. Furthermore, the inhibition of nmMLCK expression by siRNA in vessels significantly attenuated VILI lung injury as reflected by decreased BAL protein level (40% reduction). Finally, MLCK knockout mice were significantly protected (reduced BAL protein and albumin) when exposed to a model of severe VILI (4h, 40ml/kg tidal volume). Conclusion: the MLCK gene KO and chemical biology results indicate that the targeting of nmMLCK in vivo attenuate the severity of LPS-induced or VILI acute lung injury. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression induced by VILI in Wild type and nmMLCK-/- mouse. Experiment Overall Design: four group (n=3) of animals were treated by SB (Spontaneouse breathing) or VILI (4 hours, 30 ml/kg tidal volume) in Wild type or nmMLCK-/- animals;