Transient Activation of Hedgehog Signaling Inhibits Cellular Senescence and Inflammation in Radiated Swine Salivary Glands through Preserving Resident Macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Salivary gland function is commonly and irreversibly damaged by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. This damage greatly decreases the patient's quality of life and is difficult to remedy. Previously, we found that the transient activation of Hedgehog signaling alleviated salivary hypofunction after radiation in both mouse and pig models through the inhibition of radiation-induced cellular senescence that is mediated by resident macrophages in mouse submandibular glands. Here we report that in swine parotid glands sharing many features with humans, the Hedgehog receptor PTCH1 is mainly expressed in macrophages, and levels of PTCH1 and multiple macrophage markers are significantly decreased by radiation but recovered by transient Hedgehog activation. These parotid macrophages mainly

SUBMITTER: Hu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8708934 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature