Enzymes involved in collagen biosynthesis, including lysyl oxidase （LOX）, have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets for idio- pathic pulmonary fibrosis. LOX expression is significantly upregulated in bleom...Enzymes involved in collagen biosynthesis, including lysyl oxidase （LOX）, have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets for idio- pathic pulmonary fibrosis. LOX expression is significantly upregulated in bleomycin （BLM）-induced lung fibrosis, and knockdown of LOX expression or inhibition of LOX activity alleviates the lung fibrosis. Unexpectedly, treatment of the mice with LOX inhibitor at the inflammatory stage, but not the fibrogenic stage, efficiently reduces collagen deposition and normalizes lung architecture. Inhibition of LOX impairs inflammatory ceU infiltration, TGF-β signaling, and myofibroblast accumulation. Furthermore, ectopic expres- sion of LOX sensitizes the fibrosis-resistant Balb/c mice to BLM-induced inflammation and lung fibrosis. These results suggest that LOX is indispensable for the progression of BLM-induced experimental lung fibrosis by aggravating the inflammatory response and subse- quent fibrosis process after lung injury.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China （2010CB912102 and 2010CB529703） and the National Natural Science Foundation of China （31190061, 31371408, and 81430067）. G.G. is a scholar of the SA-SIBS Scholarship Program.
文摘Enzymes involved in collagen biosynthesis, including lysyl oxidase （LOX）, have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets for idio- pathic pulmonary fibrosis. LOX expression is significantly upregulated in bleomycin （BLM）-induced lung fibrosis, and knockdown of LOX expression or inhibition of LOX activity alleviates the lung fibrosis. Unexpectedly, treatment of the mice with LOX inhibitor at the inflammatory stage, but not the fibrogenic stage, efficiently reduces collagen deposition and normalizes lung architecture. Inhibition of LOX impairs inflammatory ceU infiltration, TGF-β signaling, and myofibroblast accumulation. Furthermore, ectopic expres- sion of LOX sensitizes the fibrosis-resistant Balb/c mice to BLM-induced inflammation and lung fibrosis. These results suggest that LOX is indispensable for the progression of BLM-induced experimental lung fibrosis by aggravating the inflammatory response and subse- quent fibrosis process after lung injury.
