title: Therapeutic effect of a peptide inhibitor of TGF-β on pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis encompasses several respiratory diseases characterized by epithelial cell injury, inflammation and fibrosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is one of the main profibrogenic cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis. It induces fibroblast differentiation into myofibroblasts, which produce high levels of collagen and concomitantly loss of lung elasticity and reduction of the respiratory function. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of P17 (a TGF-β inhibitor peptide) on IMR-90 lung fibroblast differentiation in vitro, as well as on the inhibition of the development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. It was found that in IMR-90 cells, P17 inhibited TGF-β1-induced expression of connective tissue growth factor and α-smooth muscle actin. In vivo, treatment of mice with P17 2days after bleomycin administration decreased lung fibrosis, areas of myofibroblast-like cells and lymphocyte infiltrate. P17 also reduced mRNA expression of collagen type I, fibronectin and the fibronectin splice isoform EDA in the lung, and increased the expression of IFN-γ mRNA. Finally, therapeutic treatment with P17 in mice with already established fibrosis was able to significantly attenuate the progression of lung fibrosis. These results suggest that P17 may be useful in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: DIGNA Biotech, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arribillaga
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dotor
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basagoiti
authors.forename: José Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Riezu-Boj
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borrás-Cuesta
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lasarte
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarobe
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cornet
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feijoó
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C526317:CCN2 protein, human; D024042:Collagen Type I; D005353:Fibronectins; D010455:Peptides; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D001761:Bleomycin; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor