Dickkopf1 Promotes Pulmonary Fibrosis upon Bleomycin-Induced Lung Injury.

ABSTRACT: Orchestration of inflammation and tissue repair processes is critical to maintaining homeostasis upon tissue injury. Tissue fibrosis is a pathological process characterized by aberrant accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen, upon injury. Dickkopf1 (DKK1) is a quintessential Wnt antagonist. The role of DKK1 in bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury and fibrosis model remains elusive. This study shows that BLM-induced lung injury markedly elevated DKK1 protein expressions in the lungs in mice, consistent with human pulmonary fibrosis patient lung tissues. The elevated DKK1 levels coincided with immune cell infiltration and collagen deposition. Notably, the reduced expression of DKK1 in Dkk1 hypomorphic doubleridge (Dkk1^d/d) mice abrogated BLM-induced lung inf

SUBMITTER: Sung EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10477954 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature