An unresolved acute inflammatory response, prolonged exposure to damage-associated molecular patterns and dysbalance between inflammatory and resolution molecules can lead to chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Two such damage-associated molecules, serum amyloid A and tenascin C, are associated with multiple chronic and fibrotic diseases. They both bind to Toll-like receptor 4, while serum amyloid A can additionally bind to Toll-like receptor 2 and N-formyl peptide receptor 2. The aim of our study was to investigate different ways of limiting the inflammatory and fibrotic effects of serum amyloid A and tenascin C.
We tested the influence of serum amyloid A and tenascin C on mouse embryonic fibroblasts, normal human lung fibroblasts and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells on gene expression levels (using real time polymerase chain reaction) and/or protein levels (using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay and Western blot analysis). We confirmed that all three receptor genes are inducible. We observed differences in cells' ratio in expression of receptor genes, which resulted in their different responses to stimulation with serum amyloid A and tenascin C.
Serum amyloid A and tenascin C induced the expression and synthesis of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 and expression of markers of fibrosis (collagen 1A1 and actin α 2), in all of which Toll-like receptor 4 played an important role. BOC2, an antagonist of N-formyl peptide receptor 2, reduced the inflammatory effects of serum amyloid A and the phosphorylation of its signal pathway. Two resolution molecules, that bind to N-formyl peptide receptor 2, lipoxin A4 and resolvin D1, attenauted inflammatory and fibrotic effects of tenascin C by reducing expression of genes for interleukin 6, collagen 1A1, actin α 2 and fibronectin.
Another possibility for inhibition of serum amyloid A and tenascin C-induced inflammatory and fibrotic effects is inhibition with antibodies. Natural antibodies against serum amyloid A1 had previously been used to limit the inflammatory effects of serum amyloid A1 and consequently interleukin 6. We tested their role on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and we observed attenuation of serum amyloid A-induced synthesis of interleukin 6.
There are many ways for treating inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. However, further investigations are required to limit the amount of chronic diseases, which are nowadays main cause of reduced quality of life and mortality.
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