Characterization of Quin-C1 for its anti-inflammatory property in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced lung injury.

ABSTRACT: To study the in vivo effects of Quin-C1, a highly specific agonist for formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2/ALX), in a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury.Male ICR mice were injected intratracheally with BLM (d 0), and intraperitoneally with Quin-C1 (0.2 mg/d) or vehicle between d 1 and d 28, during which pulmonary inflammation was monitored. A similar regimen was carried out between d 5 and d 28 to differentiate anti-inflammatory from anti-fibrotic effects. During the treatment, leukocyte numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted, and FPR2/ALX transcripts, tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF-?), interleukin-1? (IL-1?), the mouse keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF-?1) and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) expression levels in the lung tissue were also measured. Both hydroxyproline content and histological changes were examined on d 28 to assess the severity of lung fibrosis.BLM caused a significant increase in expression levels of all the selected cytokines and chemokines, as well as a thickening of the alveolar wall. Treatment with Quin-C1 significantly reduced the neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in BALF, diminished expression of TNF-?, IL-1?, KC, and TGF-?1, and decreased collagen deposition in lung tissue. The treatment also lowered the content of lung hydroxyproline. Quin-C1 did not ameliorate lung fibrosis when the treatment was started 5 d after the BLM challenge, suggesting that the protection may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory effects. Exposure to BLM or BLM plus Quin-C1 did not change the level of FPR2/ALX transcripts (mFpr1, mFpr2, and Lxa4r) in the lung tissue.The results demonstrate an anti-inflammatory role for Quin-C1 in bleomycin-induced lung injury, which may be further explored for therapeutic applications.

SUBMITTER: He M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4002518 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature