Article ; Online: The IL-4/IL-13 signaling axis promotes prostatic fibrosis.
2022 Volume 17, Issue 10, Page(s) e0275064
Abstract: Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a costly and pervasive medical problem for millions of aging men. Recent studies have showed that peri-urethral tissue fibrosis is an untreated pathobiology contributing to LUTS. Fibrosis results from ... ...
| Abstract | Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a costly and pervasive medical problem for millions of aging men. Recent studies have showed that peri-urethral tissue fibrosis is an untreated pathobiology contributing to LUTS. Fibrosis results from excessive extracellular matrix deposition which increases transition zone and peri-urethral tissue stiffness and compromises prostatic urethral flexibility and compliance, producing urinary obstructive symptoms. Inflammatory cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, and T-lymphocytes, secrete a medley of pro-fibrotic proteins into the prostatic microenvironment, including IFNγ, TNFα, CXC-type chemokines, and interleukins, all of which have been implicated in inflammation-mediated fibrosis. Among these, IL-4 and IL-13 are of particular interest because they share a common signaling axis that, as shown here for the first time, promotes the expression and maintenance of IL-4, IL-13, their cognate receptors, and ECM components by prostate fibroblasts, even in the absence of immune cells. Based on studies presented here, we hypothesize that the IL-4/IL-13 axis promotes prostate fibroblast activation to ECM-secreting cells. Methods: N1 or SFT1 immortalized prostate stromal fibroblasts were cultured and treated, short- or long-term, with pro-fibrotic proteins including IL-4, IL-13, TGF-β, TNF-α, IFNγ, with or without prior pre-treatment with antagonists or inhibitors. Protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, ELISA, immunoblot, or Sircoll assays. Transcript expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR. Intact cells were counted using WST assays. Results: IL-4Rα, IL-13Rα1, and collagen are concurrently up-regulated in human peri-urethral prostate tissues from men with LUTS. IL-4 and IL-13 induce their own expression as well as that of their cognate receptors, IL-4Rα and IL-13Rα1. Low concentrations of IL-4 or IL-13 act as cytokines to promote prostate fibroblast proliferation, but higher (>40ng/ml) concentrations repress cellular proliferation. Both IL-4 and IL-13 robustly and specifically promote collagen transcript and protein expression by prostate stromal fibroblasts in a JAK/STAT-dependent manner. Moreover, IL-4 and IL-13-mediated JAK/STAT signaling is coupled to activation of the IL-4Rα receptor. Conclusions: Taken together, these studies show that IL-4 and IL-13 signal through the IL-4Rα receptor to activate JAK/STAT signaling, thereby promoting their own expression, that of their cognate receptors, and collagens. These finding suggest that the IL-4/IL-13 signaling axis is a powerful, but therapeutically targetable, pro-fibrotic mechanism in the lower urinary tract. |
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| MeSH term(s) | Chemokines, CXC/metabolism ; Collagen/metabolism ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Interleukin-13/metabolism ; Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit/metabolism ; Interleukin-4/metabolism ; Interleukins/metabolism ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/pathology ; Male ; Prostate/pathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism |
| Chemical Substances | Chemokines, CXC ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit ; Interleukins ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Interleukin-4 (207137-56-2) ; Collagen (9007-34-5) |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2022-10-06 |
| Publishing country | United States |
| Document type | Journal Article ; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural |
| ZDB-ID | 2267670-3 |
| ISSN | 1932-6203 ; 1932-6203 |
| ISSN (online) | 1932-6203 |
| ISSN | 1932-6203 |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0275064 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
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