Participation of miR-200 in pulmonary fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Excessive extracellular matrix production by fibroblasts in response to tissue injury contributes to fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, involving transition of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) to pulmonary fibroblasts, appears to be an important contributory process to lung fibrosis. Although aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRs) is involved in a variety of pathophysiologic processes, the role of miRs in fibrotic lung diseases is less well understood. In the present study, we found that miR-200a, miR-200b, and miR-200c are significantly down-regulated in the lungs of mice with experimental lung fibrosis. Levels of miR-200a and miR-200c were reduced in the lungs of patients with IPF. miR-200 had greater expression in AECs tha

SUBMITTER: Yang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3349843 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature