title: Suppression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 via extracellular signal-regulated kinase contributes to bleomycin-induced oxidative stress and fibrogenesis.
abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious and irreversible lung injury with obscure etiologic mechanisms and no effective treatment to date. This study explored a crucial link between oxidative stress and pulmonary fibrogenesis, focusing on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a core transcription factor in antioxidative regulation systems. Treatment of C57 BL/6 mice with bleomycin increased fibroblast viability and collagen production and significantly downregulated Nrf2. In addition, prominent oxidative stress was indicated by changes in superoxide dismutase, catalase activity, and glutathione and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance levels. In a cell-based model, bleomycin suppressed Nrf2 activation via extracellular signal-related kinase phosphorylation, enhancing intracellular reactive oxygen species in lung fibroblasts and stimulating abnormal cell proliferation and collagen secretion. To confirm this novel mechanism of bleomycin-induced fibrogenesis, we attempted to upregulate Nrf2 and related antioxidant proteins in bleomycin-treated fibroblasts using a putative Nrf2 activator, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, and the results showed that bleomycin-induced fibroblast proliferation and collagen content were attenuated through improved redox balance. Collectively, these results disclose a potential regulatory mechanism in pulmonary fibrosis that will aid the development of new therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Shaanxi Key Lab of Free Radical Biology and Medicine, The Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xujun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Xiaodi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Chunxu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000633:toxicity*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015415:Biomarkers; D002109:Caffeic Acids; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001761:Bleomycin; D003094:Collagen; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C055494:caffeic acid phenethyl ester; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol; D006909:Hydroxyproline