title: Down-regulation of secreted lymphocyte antigen-6/urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor-related peptide-1 (SLURP-1), an endogenous allosteric alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulator, in murine and human asthmatic conditions.
abstract: Whereas acetylcholine (ACh) acts as a bronchoconstrictor and stimulator of mucus secretion from bronchial epithelium, it acts via alpha7 nicotinic Ach receptors (nAChRs) on macrophages in the airways to exert anti-inflammatory effects by reducing synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Moreover, the effects of ACh are modified by secreted ly-6/urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor-related peptide-1 (SLURP-1), a positive allosteric modulator of alpha7 nAChR signaling. Our aim was to explore the roles played by SLURP-1 in the pathophysiology of asthma by assessing SLURP-1 expression in the OVA-sensitized murine asthma model and in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells. Using real-time PCR we found that expression of SLURP-1 mRNA is down-regulated in the lungs of asthmatic model mice, as compared to healthy mice. In addition, immunohistochemical studies confirmed the diminished expression of SLURP-1 in the bronchioles of asthmatic mice, and showed it was due to extensive metaplasia of mucus-secreting cells and the concomitant loss of ciliated epithelial cells. Expression of SLURP-1 mRNA and protein was also significantly down-regulated in human epithelial cells stimulated with the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13), which is related to asthmatic condition. Thus SLURP-1 appears to be down-regulated in both an animal model of asthma and human epithelial cells treated with an inflammatory cytokine related to asthma. Those findings suggest that diminished expression of SLURP-1 in asthma attenuates its negative regulation of airway inflammation, and that perhaps changes in SLURP-1 expression could serve as a marker of airway damage in asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Narumoto
authors.forename: Kazuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriwaki
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano-Ohmuro
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Misawa
authors.forename: Naohide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagase
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
chemical_list: D000950:Antigens, Ly; D015415:Biomarkers; C579167:Chrna7 protein, human; C579166:Chrna7 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C048963:SLURP1 protein, human; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator