Heat shock protein 70 protects against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) involves infiltration of leucocytes, pulmonary injury, fibrosis and resulting pulmonary dysfunction. Myofibroblasts and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 have been suggested to play a major role in the pathology and the myofibroblasts are derived from both lung epithelial cells through epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activation of lung fibroblasts. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) confers protection against various stressors and has the anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we examined the effect of expression of HSP70 on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, a tentative animal model of IPF. Bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury and inflammatory response were ameliorated in transgenic mice overexpressing HSP70 compared to wild-type mice, even though bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and dysfunction were also suppressed in the transgenic mice. The production of TGF-β1 and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was lower in cells from the transgenic mice than wild-type mice after the administration of bleomycin. In vitro, the suppression of HSP70 expression stimulated TGF-β1-induced EMT-like phenotypes of epithelial cells but did not affect the TGF-β1-dependent activation of fibroblasts. Orally administered geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), a clinically used drug with HSP-inducing activity, conferred protection against bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury, as well as against the inflammatory response, fibrosis and dysfunction. These results suggest that HSP70 plays a protective role against bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury, inflammation, fibrosis and dysfunction through cytoprotective effects and by inhibiting the production of TGF-β1, TGF-β1-dependent EMT of epithelial cells and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Results also suggest that HSP70-inducing drugs, such as GGA, could be beneficial in the prophylaxis of IPF.

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