title: Expression and role of connexin-based gap junctions in pulmonary inflammatory diseases.
abstract: Connexins are transmembrane proteins that can generate intercellular communication channels known as gap junctions. They contribute to the direct movement of ions and larger cytoplasmic solutes between various cell types. In the lung, connexins participate in a variety of physiological functions, such as tissue homeostasis and host defence. In addition, emerging evidence supports a role for connexins in various pulmonary inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, pulmonary hypertension, acute lung injury, lung fibrosis or cystic fibrosis. In these diseases, the altered expression of connexins leads to disruption of normal intercellular communication pathways, thus contributing to various pathophysiological aspects, such as inflammation or tissue altered reactivity and remodeling. The present review describes connexin structure and organization in gap junctions. It focuses on connexins in the lung, including pulmonary bronchial and arterial beds, by looking at their expression, regulation and physiological functions. This work also addresses the issue of connexin expression alteration in various pulmonary inflammatory diseases and describes how targeting connexin-based gap junctions with pharmacological tools, synthetic blocking peptides or genetic approaches, may open new therapeutic perspectives in the treatment of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: veronique.michel@u-bordeaux.fr.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Freund-Michel
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marthan
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Savineau
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Centre de recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, U1045, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guibert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000502:physiology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid
keywords: Connexins; Gap junctions; Inflammation; Lung