Elsevier

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy

Volume 58, Issues 6–7, July–August 2004, Pages 381-387
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy

Original article
Down-regulation of lipoxin A4 receptor by thromboxane A2 signaling in RAW246.7 cells in vitro and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in vivo

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2004.05.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Lipoxins (LXs) are members of eicosanoid family that can be endogenously produced during cell-to-cell interactions such as platelet–leukocyte interactions. Anti-inflammatory function of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) as “braking signals” is mediated by the receptor. On the other hand, thromboxane A2 (TXA2) produced by catalysis of cyclooxygenase and thromboxane synthetase is released during platelet aggregation as a vasoconstrictor and a pro-inflammatory factor. To investigate interaction of TXA2 receptor (TP) and LXA4 receptor, effects of a TP agonist and a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor on expression of LXA4 receptor were examined in vitro and in vivo. A TP agonist, U46619 showed a down-regulation of LXA4 receptor induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in RAW246.7 cells. In bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice, administration of a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor DP-1904 increased LXA4 receptor mRNA and decreased type I collagen mRNA. In vitro experiments indicate that LXA4 significantly prevented enhanced proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts and the collagen expression by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). These results suggest that TXA2-TP signaling could cause negative regulation of lipoxin A4 receptor under the transcriptional level during inflammatory process mediated by IL-1β and TGF-β induce the expression of LXA4 receptor. Furthermore, the down-regulation of LXA4 receptor by TXA2 implies a possibility that a cellular signaling by TXA2 may have a novel and potential function as a pro-inflammatory factor to inhibit anti-inflammatory effect of LXA4. Concomitantly, selective blockade of TXA2-TP signaling could be suggested to lead to anti-inflammation through active role of LXA4.

Introduction

Lipoxins (LXs) are members of the eicosanoid family that can be endogenously produced within the vascular lumen and at mucosal surface either from single cells or during cell-to-cell interactions such as platelet–leukocyte interactions and leukocyte–epithelial cell interactions [1]. Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) and lipoxin B4 (LXB4) are formed by the metabolism of arachidonic acid by lipoxygenases and are rapidly metabolized in vivo.

Platelet–leukocyte interaction promotes the formation of LX by transcellular conversion of the leukocyte 5-lipoxygenase epoxide product LXA4. When platelets are adherent, platelet 12-lipoxygenase converts to LXA4 and LXB4 [2]. In addition, 15-lipoxygenase, which is abundant in eosinophils, alveolar macrophages, monocytes and epithelial cells, promotes oxygenation of arachidonic acid to generate 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid. The eicosanoid serves as a substrate for 5-lipoxygenase in leukocytes to generate LXs [3]. Aspirin can also trigger the transcellular biosynthesis if a series of 15-epimer (aspirin-triggered 15-epi-LXA4, ATL), which share many anti-inflammatory activities with the native LXA4 [4].

LX biosynthesis has also been shown to occur in many human diseases. Therefore, LXs could be involved in acute inflammation [5], aspirin-induced rhinosinusitis-asthma [6], [7], renal ischemia/reperfusion injury [8], intestinal inflammation [9], infection [10], [11], colitis [12], glomerulonephritis [13], thrombosis and atherosclerosis [14]. Thus, the LXs were the first to be identified and recognized as endogenous anti-inflammatory lipid mediators of resolution in that they can function as “braking signals” in inflammatory processes [15].

FPRL1/LXA4R was originally identified as a low-affinity receptor for N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe that shares 69% sequence identity with the high-affinity formyl peptide receptor FPR [16], [17], [18], [19]. It was subsequently reported that LXA4 and aspirin-triggered 15-epi-LXA4 are endogenous ligands for FPRL1/LXA4R and exert their anti-inflammatory functions through this receptor [20]. LXA4 receptor regulates neutrophil recruitment [21] activated phagocyte [22], stimulates a cytosolic Ca2+ increase in human bronchial epithelium [23], decreased enhanced secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by tumor necrosis factor-α from enterocytes [24], induction of IL-8 secretion by serum amyloid A [25], and inhibit ear inflammation [5].

Thus, biosynthesis of LX and the receptor is becoming to be well characterized. Moreover, observations that treatment with LXA4, 15-epi-LXA4, and the synthetic analogue protect against inflammation and other pathogenesis become to be accumulated as described above. However, information regarding to regulation of LX receptor is a quite few. The only report has shown to induce up-regulation of LXA4 receptor by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in normal human synovial fibroblasts, indicating post-transcriptional control for LX receptor [26]. In the present experiments, we studied possible interaction between thromboxane receptor (TP) and LXA4 receptor. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is one of cyclooxygenase product, which is predominantly released from platelet during platelet aggregation, leading to thrombosis [27]. Therefore, production of LX and TX may be relevant to orchestrate during platelet–leukocyte interaction under pathophysiological condition. However, less is known about the regulation of LX receptor under transcription level. We report for the first time that a G-protein-coupled receptor agonist TXA2 and the receptor TP could play a role in down-regulation of LXA4 receptor, suggestion a possible regulation of LXA4 mediated by TXA2 signaling during interaction of platelet and leukocytes.

Section snippets

Cell cultures

Murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 and murine fibroblast NIH3T3 were cultured in Dulbecco’s-modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) (Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Inc, St. Louis, MO) supplemented with 10% heated-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS) (Hyclone, Logan, UT), penicillin/streptomycin (100 U/ml) (Gibco BRL, Grand Island, NY) under standard 5% CO2 humidified atmosphere at 37 °C. These cells were seeded in six-well plate and were cultured for 24 h. Then, the cells were placed into the quiescent state by

Suppressive effect of a TP agonist, U46619 on expression of LXA4 receptor in RAW264.7 cells

Effect of a stable TXA2 mimetic, U46619 on expression of LXA4 receptor in RAW264.7 cells was examined. Expression of LXA4 receptor in the cells was determined by RT-PCR amplification of RAW264.7 cells-derived total RNA. Amplified cDNA for the receptor corresponding to 130-bp of a fragment was detected by the PCR under resting condition of RAW264.7 cells (Fig. 1a). When the cells were stimulated with IL-1β (10 ng/ml) for 2 h, the expression was markedly increased to 10-fold compared to that in

Discussion and conclusion

The present results demonstrate that TX and the receptor could mediate negatively regulated expression of LXA4 receptor. LXs are formed by the metabolism of arachidonic acid by lipoxygenases during platelet–leukocyte interactions and by peripheral blood monocytes during inflammation, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis [7]. During these pathological conditions, platelet aggregation is an important event of the haemostatic mechanism that prevents undesired bleeding and invasion of noxious

Acknowledgements

Part of this work was supported by a research grant from The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (to I.H.), and a Research Project grant from the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University (to I.H. and H.K.). The authors thank Ms. Terumi Mizuno and Sachiko Kurihara for their expert technical assistance. The experimental Animal Center for animal care, and The Radioisotope Research Center of Kitasato University School of Medicine for experiment

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