Inhibition of NUCKS Facilitates Corneal Recovery Following Alkali Burn

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 20:7:41224. doi: 10.1038/srep41224.

Abstract

Corneal wound healing involves a complex cascade of cytokine-controlled cellular events, including inflammatory and angiogenesis responses that are regulated by transcriptional chromatin remodeling. Nuclear Ubiquitous Casein and cyclin-dependent Kinase Substrate (NUCKS) is a key chromatin modifier and transcriptional regulator of metabolic signaling. In this study, we investigated the role of NUCKS in corneal wound healing by comparing its effects on corneal alkali burn in NUCKS knockout (NKO) and NUCKS wild-type (NWT) mice. Our data showed that following alkali-injury, inhibition of NUCKS (NKO) accelerated ocular resurfacing and suppressed neovascularization; the cytokine profile of alkali burned corneas in NKO mice showed suppressed expression of inflammation cytokines (IL1A &IL1B); upregulated expression of antiangiogenic factor (Pigment Epithelium-derived Factor; PEDF); and downregulated expression of angiogenic factor (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, VEGF); in vitro, following LPS-induced NFκB activation, NKO corneal cells showed reduced expression of IL6, IP10 and TNFα. In vitro, corneal epithelial cells showed reduced NF-κb activation on silencing of NUCKS and corresponding NFκB-mediated cytokine expression was reduced. Here, we illustrate that inhibition of NUCKS played a role in cytokine modulation and facilitated corneal recovery. This reveals a potential new effective strategy for ocular burn treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Burns, Chemical*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Corneal Injuries / chemically induced*
  • Corneal Injuries / genetics
  • Corneal Injuries / metabolism
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epithelium, Corneal / cytology
  • Epithelium, Corneal / metabolism
  • Eye Burns / chemically induced
  • Eye Burns / genetics*
  • Eye Burns / metabolism
  • Eye Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Mice
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Serpins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • Wound Healing

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Eye Proteins
  • NF-kappa B
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Nucks protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Serpins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • pigment epithelium-derived factor
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse