Essential involvement of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via regulation of fibrocyte and M2 macrophage migration.

ABSTRACT: The potential role of macrophages in pulmonary fibrosis (PF) prompted us to evaluate the roles of CX3CR1, a chemokine receptor abundantly expressed in macrophages during bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF. Intratracheal BLM injection induced infiltration of leukocytes such as macrophages into the lungs, which eventually resulted in fibrosis. CX3CR1 expression was mainly detected in the majority of macrophages and in a small portion of α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells in the lungs, while CX3CL1 was expressed in macrophages. BLM-induced fibrotic changes in the lungs were reduced without any changes in the number of leukocytes in Cx3cr1 -/- mice, as compared with those in the wild-type (WT) mice. However, intrapulmonary CX3CR1+ macrophages displayed pro-fibrotic M2 phenotypes; lack of CX3CR1 skew

SUBMITTER: Ishida Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714949 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature