title: The 'sweet' and 'bitter' involvement of glycosaminoglycans in lung diseases: pharmacotherapeutic relevance.
abstract: The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a significant role in the structure and function of the lung. The ECM is a three-dimensional fibre mesh, comprised of various interconnected and intercalated macromolecules, among which are the glycosaminoglycans (GAG). GAG are long, linear and highly charged, heterogeneous polysaccharides that are composed of a variable number of repeating disaccharide units (macromolecular sugars) and most of them, as their name implies, have a sweet taste. In the lung, GAG support the structure of the interstitium, the subepithelial tissue and the bronchial walls, and are secreted in the airway secretions. Besides maintaining lung tissue structure, GAG also play an important role in lung function as they regulate hydration and water homeostasis, modulate the inflammatory response and influence lung tissue repair and remodelling. However, depending on their size and/or degree of sulphation, and their immobilization or solubilization in the ECM, specific GAG in the lung either live up to their sweet taste/name, supporting normal lung physiology, or they are associated to 'bitter' effects, related to lung pathology. The present review discusses the biological role of GAG in the lung as well as the involvement of these molecules in various respiratory diseases. Given the great structural diversity of GAG, understanding the changes in GAG expression that occur in lung diseases may lead to novel targets for pharmacological intervention in order to prevent and/or to treat a range of lung diseases.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. epap@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karakiulakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism; D014765:Viral Vaccines
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines; D014765:Viral Vaccines