title: Overexpression of soluble ADAM33 promotes a hypercontractile phenotype of the airway smooth muscle cell in rat.
abstract: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33) has been identified as a susceptibility gene for asthma, but details of the causality are not fully understood. We hypothesize that soluble ADAM33 (sADAM33) overexpression can alter the mechanical behaviors of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) via regulation of the cell's contractile phenotype, and thus contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in asthma. To test this hypothesis, we either overexpressed or knocked down the sADAM33 in rat ASMCs by transfecting the cells with sADAM33 coding sequence or a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that specifically targets the ADAM33 disintegrin domain, and subsequently assessed the cells for stiffness, contractility and traction force, together with the expression level of contractile and proliferative phenotype markers. We also investigated whether these changes were dependent on Rho/ROCK pathway by culturing the ASMCs either in the absence or presence of ROCK inhibitor (H1152). The results showed that the ASMCs with sADAM33 overexpression were stiffer and more contractile, generated greater traction force, exhibited increased expression levels of contractile phenotype markers and markedly enhanced Rho activation. Furthermore these changes were largely attenuated when the cells were cultured in the presence of H-1152. However, the knock-down of ADAM33 seemed insufficient to influence majority of the mechanical behaviors of the ASMCs. Taken together, we demonstrated that sADAM33 overexpression altered the mechanical behaviors of ASMCs in vitro, which was most likely by promoting a hypercontractile phenotype transition of ASMCs through Rho/ROCK pathway. This revelation may establish the previously missing link between ADAM33 expression and AHR, and also provide useful insight for targeting sADAM33 in asthma prevention and therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Yiyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Jiaoyue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Asialand Biomed-Technology Co. Ltd., Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China.
authors.forename: Lizheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400030, China; Changzhou Key Laboratory of Respiratory Medical Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China. Electronic address: dlh@cczu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Linhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012995:Solubility; D014162:Transfection; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins
keywords: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33); Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR); Airway smooth muscle cells; Asthma; Hypercontractile phenotype; Rho/ROCK pathway