Purpose: Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, the anti-inflammatory properties of α-MSH on normal bronchial epithelial cells are largely unknown, especially in the context of in vitro sarcoidosis models.
Methods: We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of α-MSH on two different in vitro sarcoidosis models (lung-on-membrane model; LOMM and three-dimensional biochip pulmonary sarcoidosis model; 3D-BSGM) generated from NBECs and an in vivo sarcoidosis mouse model.
Results: Treatment with α-MSH decreased inflammatory cytokine levels and downregulated type I interferon pathway genes and related proteins in LOMM and 3D-BSGM models. Treatment with α-MSH also significantly decreased macrophages and cytotoxic T-cells counts in a sarcoidosis mice model.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the direct role of type I IFNs in the pathogenesis of sarcoid lung granulomas and highlight α-MSH as a potential novel therapeutic agent for treating pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Keywords: Bronchial epithelial cells; In vitro granuloma model; Mice model; Sarcoidosis; Type I interferons; α-MSH.
© 2022. The Author(s).