title: Recombinant human elafin protects airway epithelium integrity during inflammation.
abstract: Elafin, an antiprotease, is likely to protect pulmonary epithelial cells from inflammatory damages. We aimed to explore the molecule mechanisms of recombinant human elafin on protecting A549 cells integrity against inflammatory assault. We transfected A549 airway epithelial cells with eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-N1-Elafin and negative control vector pEGFP-N1, respectively. Cells were co-incubated with polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and then were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results revealed that, in pEGFP-N1-Elafin transfected cells, neutrophil elastase (NE) activity significantly decreased after LPS stimulation, accompanied with elevated elafin mRNA level and protein production, whereas in cells transfected with pEGFP-N1, NE activity was higher and elafin expression was lower, compared with pEGFP-N1-Elafin transfected group (P < 0.05). In pEGFP-N1 transfected cells, LPS suppressed tight junctions protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) production, while in recombinant pEGFP-N1-Elafin cells, LPS did not cause significantly decrease of ZO-1, compared with normal control cells. LPS stimulation also significantly weakened the collagen adhesion capability of pEGFP-N1 transfected cells (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference in recombinant pEGFP-N1-Elafin cells (P > 0.05). These results suggest that elafin can maintain airway epithelium integrity by protecting airway epithelial cells and enhancing the anti-inflammatory capability of airway.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D053492:Elafin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
chemical_list: D053492:Elafin; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D003094:Collagen; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase