Project description:In order to find the difference between human lung tissue-derived fibroblasts and human vascular adventitial fibroblasts for enhancing tumor formation ablity of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, we found that human vascular adventitial fibroblasts enhance A549 tumor formation in vivo compared to human lung tissue-derived fibroblasts. To find the responsible genes for this phenomena, we used microarray analysis to find the expression difference between lung tissue-derived fibroblasts and vascular adventitial fibroblas Cultured human lung tissue-derived fibroblasts and human vascular adventitial fibroblasts were analyzed in replicates.
Project description:In order to find the difference between human lung tissue-derived fibroblasts and human vascular adventitial fibroblasts for enhancing tumor formation ablity of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, we found that human vascular adventitial fibroblasts enhance A549 tumor formation in vivo compared to human lung tissue-derived fibroblasts. To find the responsible genes for this phenomena, we used microarray analysis to find the expression difference between lung tissue-derived fibroblasts and vascular adventitial fibroblas
Project description:Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the western world despite the success of lipid lowering therapies, highlighting the need for novel lipid-independent therapeutic strategies. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous genes associated with ASCVD that appear to predominantly function in the vessel wall, suggesting both that vascular cells mediate ASCVD, and that the genes and pathways essential for this vascular cell function may be novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ASCVD. Furthermore, some of these implicated genes appear to function in the adventitial layer of the vasculature, suggesting these cells are able to potentiate ASCVD. Methods: To investigate the contribution of adventitial cells in atherosclerosis, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of the aortic adventitia during atherogenesis in male Ldlr-/- mice via pools of three mice, two samples per condition. We cross-referenced the scRNA-seq data with human ASCVD GWAS to identify regulators of adventitial responses in ASCVD. These regulators were then validated in vitro in human adventitial fibroblasts. Results: We identified four adventitial fibroblast populations, all of which displayed shifts in population size and gene expression over the course of atherogenesis. SERPINH1, an ASCVD-linked GWAS gene, was differentially expressed in adventitial fibroblasts during atherogenesis. Knockdown of SERPINH1 in vitro reduced fibroblast migration and altered subcluster marker gene expression. Conclusions: These findings reveal dynamic changes in adventitial fibroblasts during atherosclerosis and suggest that reduced SERPINH1 expression disrupts adventitial fibroblast function, contributing to ASCVD progression.
Project description:In hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (PH), pulmonary vascular remodeling is characterized by the emergence of activated adventitial fibroblasts, leading to medial smooth muscle hyperplasia. Previous studies have suggested that CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) plays a crucial role in the pathobiological processes in lung diseases. However, its role in pulmonary fibroblasts in hy-poxic PH remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the mechanistic role of CD26/DPP4 in lung fibroblasts in hypoxic PH. Dpp4 knockout (Dpp4 KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were exposed to hypoxia for 4 weeks. The degree of PH severity and medial wall thickness was augmented in Dpp4 KO mice compared with that in WT mice, suggesting that CD26/DPP4 plays a suppressive role in the development of hypoxic PH. Transcriptome analysis of human lung fibroblasts cultured under hypoxic conditions revealed that TGFB2, TGFB3, and TGFA were all upregulated as differentially expressed genes after DPP4 knockdown with small interfering RNA treatment. These results suggest that CD26/DPP4 plays a suppressive role in TGFβ signal-regulated fibroblast ac-tivation under hypoxic conditions. Therefore, CD26/DPP4 may be a potential therapeutic target in patients with PH associated with chronic hypoxia.
Project description:We have shown that vascular SMCs, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells have transcriptional and epigenomic features that are distinct to vascular site. Further, TF motif accessibility analysis in fibroblasts reveals an increased accessibility of AP1, and SMAD2:3:4, and TCF21 motifs in the ascending fibroblast population compared to carotid and descending fibroblasts, with further gene regulatory network analysis suggesting distinct regulatory TF module activity in ascending fibroblasts highlighting master regulator of fibroblast activation Meox1. This differential chromatin accessibility would suggest the potential for heightened biological response to TGFb in ascending fibroblasts. To evaluate the functional effect of this differential chromatin accessibility and to identify if differential gene expression is retained following removal from vascular site flow conditions, we isolated and cultured primary adventitial fibroblasts from healthy 14 week old C57BL/6 mice from the ascending and descending aorta and stimulated them with control or TGFb (10ng/mL, 48hrs) and performed bulk RNA sequencing (n = 3 per condition).
Project description:Fibrosis refers to the abnormal proliferation and excessive accumulation of fibrous tissue in an organ or tissue, typically caused by chronic injury or inflammation. Fibroblasts play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of fibrosis, with their excessive activation and overproduction of ECM being key mechanisms in fibrotic diseases. In this study, we constructed decellularized lung scaffolds from normal mice and bleomycin-induced lung decellularized scaffolds to analyze and compare the differential gene expression in control human fibroblasts, TGFβ-induced human fibroblasts, fibroblasts co-cultured with normal lung decellularized scaffolds, and fibroblasts co-cultured with bleomycin-induced lung decellularized scaffolds. This investigation aims to explore the impact of ECM on fibroblast activation and its underlying mechanisms.
