Extracellular vesicular delivery of ceramides from pulmonary macrophages to endothelial cells facilitates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ceramides are known for their harmful, cell-autonomous effects in cigarette smoke (CS)-triggered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet their potential role as intercellular signals in COPD pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether ceramides act as cell-nonautonomous mediators of COPD development by transmitting metabolic stress from pulmonary macrophages to endothelial cells (ECs), compromising endothelial function and thereby orchestrating the pulmonary inflammation.

Methods

We analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data from human lung tissues and bulk RNA sequencing data from alveolar macrophages (AMs) in COPD patients to investigate the transcriptomic profiles of ceramide biosynthesis enzymes. The expression changes of sever

SUBMITTER: Huang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11887234 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature