Vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibits airway smooth muscle cell proliferation in a mouse model of asthma via the ERK1/2 signaling pathway

• Published in: Experimental cell research 2018-03, Vol.364 (2), p.168-174
• Main Authors: Wang, Juan, Shang, Yun-Xiao, Cai, Xu-Xu, Liu, Li-Yun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Airway remodeling; Airway Remodeling - drug effects; Animals; ASTHMA; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - metabolism; Asthma - pathology; Caveolin-1; CELL CYCLE; CELL PROLIFERATION; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Disease Models, Animal; ERK1/2 signaling pathway; Female; INFLAMMATION; LYMPHOKINES; MAP Kinase Signaling System - drug effects; MICE; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 - metabolism; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 - antagonists & inhibitors; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 - metabolism; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - cytology; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - drug effects; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - metabolism; PEPTIDES; PHOSPHOTRANSFERASES; Vasoactive intestinal peptide; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0014-4827; 1090-2422
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.01.042

Asthma is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness and remodeling. Airway remodeling is irreversible by current antiasthmatic drugs, and it is the main cause of severe asthma. Airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) act as the main effector cells for airway remodeling; the proliferation and hypertrophy of which are involved in airway remodeling. Caveolin (Cav)− 1 is present on the surface of ASMCs, which is involved in cell cycle and signal transduction regulation, allowing ASMCs to change from proliferation to apoptosis. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 signaling pathway is a common pathway regulated by various proliferative factors, which demonstrates a regulatory role in airway remodeling of asthma. There have been many studies on the correlation between vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and airway reactivity and inflammation in asthma, but the functions and related mechanisms of ASMCs remain unclear. In this study, we established an airway remodeling model in asthmatic mice, and concluded that VIP inhibits airway remodeling in vivo. The in vitro effect of VIP on interleukin-13-induced proliferation of ASMCs was studied by examining the effects of VIP on expression of ERK1/2, phospho-ERK1/2 and Cav-1 in ASMCs, as well as changes in cell cycle distribution. VIP inhibited phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and expression of Cav-1 on ASMCs and decreased the proportion of S phase cells in the cell cycle, thus inhibiting the proliferation of ASMCs. This study provides a novel therapeutic mechanism for the treatment of asthma. •VIP inhibited the occurrence of OVA-induced airway remodeling in mice.•VIP inhibited the proliferation of ASMCs by inhibiting the down-regulation of Cav-1.•VIP inhibited the proliferation of ASMCs via the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and decreased the proportion of cells in S phase.•VIP inhibited airway remodeling and therefore provided a new approach for the treatment of asthma.