Recombinant Slit2 attenuates tracheal fibroblast activation in benign central airway obstruction by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Abstract

Airway fibrosis is among the pathological manifestations of benign central airway obstruction noted in the absence of effective treatments and requires new drug targets to be developed. Slit guidance ligand 2-roundabout guidance receptor 1 (Slit2-Robo1) is involved in fibrosis and organ development. However, its significance in airway fibrosis has not yet been reported. The study explored how the recombinant protein Slit2 functions in transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-mediated airway fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Slit2 expression initially increased in the tracheal granulation tissues of patients with tracheobronchial stenosis but decreased in the fibrotic tissue. In primary rat tracheal fibroblasts (RTFs), recombinant Slit2 inhibited the expression of extracellular matrices such as Timp1, α-SMA, and COL1A2, whereas recombinant TGF-β1 promoted the expression of Robo1, α-SMA, and COL1A2. Slit2 and TGF-β1 played a mutual inhibitory role in RTFs. Slit2 supplementation and Robo1 downregulation inhibited excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition induced by TGF-β1 in RTFs via the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway. Ultimately, exogenous Slit2 and Robo1 knockdown-mediated attenuation of airway fibrosis were validated in a trauma-induced rat airway obstruction model. These findings demonstrate that recombinant Slit2 alleviated pathologic tracheobronchial healing by attenuating excessive ECM deposition. Slit2-Robo1 is an attractive target for further exploring the mechanisms and treatment of benign central airway obstruction.

• Authors: Chunyan He, Lei Gu, Anmao Li, Yishi Li, Rui Xiao, Jiaxin Liao, Junhao Mu, Yiling Gan, Mingyu Peng, Giri Mohan, Wei Liu, Li Xu, Shuliang Guo
• Journal: Molecular and cellular probes (Mol Cell Probes) Vol. 73 Pg. 101947 (Feb 2024) ISSN: 1096-1194 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 38122948 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Receptors, Immunologic
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1
• Slit homolog 2 protein
• Smad3 protein, rat
• Tgfb1 protein, rat

Topics

• Animals
• Humans
• Rats
• Airway Obstruction (metabolism)
• Fibroblasts (metabolism)
• Fibrosis
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Pulmonary Fibrosis (metabolism)
• Receptors, Immunologic (metabolism)
• Signal Transduction
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1 (pharmacology)