Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF/FIZZ1/RELMalpha) increases lung inflammation and activates pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells via an IL-4-dependent mechanism

J Immunol. 2010 Nov 1;185(9):5539-48. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0904021. Epub 2010 Oct 1.

Abstract

Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF), also known as found in inflammatory zone 1 and resistin-like molecule α, belongs to a novel class of cysteine-rich secreted proteins. It exhibits mitogenic and chemotactic properties during pulmonary hypertension-associated vascular remodeling, as well as fibrogenic properties during pulmonary fibrosis. HIMF expression in the lung was reported to be regulated by Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) via the transcription factor STAT6 pathway in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. However, in this study, we found that in the hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension model, lung HIMF expression is increased in IL-4 and STAT6 knockout (KO) mice to the same degree as in wild-type (WT) mice, suggesting that induction of HIMF expression does not require Th2 regulation in this model. We also found that HIMF-induced proliferative activity, hypertrophy, collagen, and extracellular matrix deposition in the pulmonary arteries are significantly less in IL-4 KO mice than in WT mice. In addition, HIMF-induced production of angiogenic factors/chemokines, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, MCP-1, and stromal-derived factor-1, in the lung resident cells, as well as macrophage infiltration, were significantly suppressed in the lungs of IL-4 KO mice. We also show that IL-4 was significantly increased in the lungs of HIMF-treated WT mice. Our in vitro studies using pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells revealed that HIMF stimulated cell proliferation, vascular endothelial growth factor expression, and MCP-1 production in a manner that is dependent on the IL-4/IL-4Rα system. These findings suggest that IL-4 signaling may play a significant role in HIMF-induced lung inflammation and vascular remodeling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Endothelial Cells / immunology
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / metabolism
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / immunology
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism*
  • Lung / blood supply
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Organ Culture Techniques
  • Pneumonia / immunology
  • Pneumonia / metabolism*
  • Pneumonia / pathology
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / immunology*

Substances

  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Retnla protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-4