Identification of P-Rex1 as an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic target for pulmonary fibrosis

Sci Rep. 2016 May 13:6:25785. doi: 10.1038/srep25785.

Abstract

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) leads to progressive and often irreversible loss of lung functions, posing a health threat with no effective cure. We examined P-Rex1, a PI3K- and G protein βγ-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) of the Rac small GTPase, for its potential involvement in PF. In a bleomycin-induced PF model, mice deficient in p-rex1 had well-preserved alveolar structure and survived significantly better than their wild type (WT) littermates. The p-rex1(-/-) mice expressed significantly less proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and had reduced leukocyte infiltration in the lung tissue than their WT littermates. P-Rex1 was detected in lung fibroblasts of WT mice, and its genetic deletion attenuated TGFβ-1-stimulated lung fibroblast migration, Rac1 activation and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. The p-rex1(-/-) mice showed significantly reduced pathological changes including the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin and TGFβ-1 compared with their WT controls. Expression of a GEF-deficient P-Rex1 mutant effectively blocked Smads-dependent transcriptional activation, suggesting that P-Rex1 is a downstream mediator of TGFβ-1 signaling. These findings identify P-Rex1 as a novel player of PF, suggesting that targeting P-Rex1 may simultaneously block the inflammatory and fibrogenic processes of PF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / metabolism*
  • Bleomycin
  • Chemokines / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Fibronectins / metabolism
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / deficiency
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Phosphorylation
  • Pneumonia / pathology
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / metabolism*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Survival Analysis
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Chemokines
  • Fibronectins
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • PREX1 protein, mouse
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Bleomycin
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein