Long-acting human serum albumin-thioredoxin fusion protein suppresses bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis progression

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2013 May;345(2):271-83. doi: 10.1124/jpet.112.201814. Epub 2013 Feb 26.

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is thought to involve inflammatory cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion radical (O2(·-)). There is currently no effective treatment of IPF. We previously developed a human serum albumin (HSA)-thioredoxin 1 (Trx) fusion protein (HSA-Trx) designed to overcome the unfavorable pharmacokinetic and short pharmacological properties of Trx, an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory protein. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effect of HSA-Trx on an IPF animal model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis. A pharmacokinetic study of HSA-Trx or Trx in BLM mice showed that the plasma retention and lung distribution of Trxc was markedly improved by fusion with HSA. A weekly intravenous administration of HSA-Trx, but not Trx, ameliorated BLM-induced fibrosis, as evidenced by a histopathological analysis and pulmonary hydroxyproline levels. HSA-Trx suppressed active-transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels in the lung and inhibited the increase of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, pulmonary inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress markers. An in vitro EPR experiment using phosphate-buffered saline-stimulated neutrophils confirmed the O2(·-) scavenging ability of HSA-Trx. Furthermore, post-treatment of HSA-Trx had a suppressive effect against BLM-induced fibrosis. These results suggest that HSA-Trx has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for IPF, because of its long-acting antioxidative and anti-inflammatory modulation effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Bleomycin
  • Blotting, Western
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Disease Progression
  • Hydroxyproline / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / analysis
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Lung / pathology
  • Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / metabolism
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / chemically induced*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / drug therapy*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Serum Albumin / therapeutic use*
  • Thioredoxins / therapeutic use*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / analysis
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Interleukin-6
  • Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Serum Albumin
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Bleomycin
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Thioredoxins
  • Hydroxyproline