GLUT1 contributes to impaired epithelial tight junction in the late phase of acute lung injury

Eur J Pharmacol. 2023 Dec 15:961:176185. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176185. Epub 2023 Nov 8.

Abstract

Dysfunction of epithelial barrier is crucial for the development of acute lung injury (ALI). This study was aimed to evaluate the role of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in dysregulation of epithelial tight junction in ALI. GLUT1 was inhibited with specific antagonists WZB117 or BAY876 to see the effects on epithelial tight junction in a well-established LPS-induced mouse ALI model as well as in vitro cultured epithelial cells. Pharmacological inhibition of GLUT1 with WZB117 at either a low or high dose had no effects on lung injury and inflammation 24 h after LPS challenge, but significantly decreased the pulmonary inflammatory responses induced by LPS at 72 h with a high dose, which was verified by treatment with BAY876. WZB117 or BAY876 also recovered the expression of epithelial tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. In cultured BEAS-2B and A549 cells, LPS induced increased GLUT1 expression, accompanied by decreased expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 and occludin. Blockade of GLUT1 restored LPS-induced disruption of ZO-1 and occludin in BEAS-2B rather than A549. Taken together, our results showed that GLUT1 is responsible for dysfunction of epithelial tight junctions in the late phase of LPS-induced ALI.

Keywords: Epithelium; GLUT1; Lung injury; Tight junctions.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury* / chemically induced
  • Acute Lung Injury* / drug therapy
  • Acute Lung Injury* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Occludin / metabolism
  • Tight Junction Proteins / metabolism
  • Tight Junctions*
  • Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • WZB117
  • Occludin
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
  • Tight Junction Proteins