Toll-like receptor 4 promotes fibrosis in bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice

• Published in: Genetics and molecular research 2015-12, Vol.14 (4), p.17391-17398
• Main Authors: Li, X X, Jiang, D Y, Huang, X X, Guo, S L, Yuan, W, Dai, H P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bleomycin - toxicity; Collagen Type I - biosynthesis; Fibrosis - chemically induced; Fibrosis - genetics; Fibrosis - pathology; Humans; Lung Injury - genetics; Lung Injury - pathology; Mice; Mice, Knockout; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptor 4 - genetics
• ISSN: 1676-5680; 1676-5680
• DOI: 10.4238/2015.December.21.8

The specific role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis of mice, a model of human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, has not been characterized. We injected bleomycin intratracheally into TLR4 knockout (TLR4(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) mice. Twenty-one days after injection, mice were sacrificed and their lungs were harvested for pathological, hydroxyproline, mRNA expression, and collagen I analyses. Body weight changes and mortality were observed. Light microscopy showed that lung fibrosis was minimal in TLR4(-/-) compared to that in WT mice on day 21 after bleomycin instillation. The Ashcroft score was significantly lower in TLR4(-/-) than in WT mice (3.667 ± 0.730 vs 4.945 ± 0.880, P < 0.05). Hydroxyproline content was significantly lower in TLR4(-/-) than in WT mice on day 21 after bleomycin injection (0.281 ± 0.022 vs 0.371 ± 0.047, P < 0.05). Compared to WT mice, bleomycin-treated TLR4(-/-) mice expressed significantly lower type I collagen mRNA levels (mesenchymal marker; 11.069 ± 2.627 vs 4.589 ± 1.440, P < 0.05). Collagen I was significantly lower in TLR4(-/-) than in WT mice (0.838 ± 0.352 vs 2.427 ± 0.551, P < 0.05). Bleomycin-treated TLR4(-/-) mice had a significantly lower mortality rate on day 21 than WT mice (33 vs 75%, P < 0.05). Body weight reduction was lower in TLR4(-/-) mice than in WT mice; this difference was not statistically significant (-3.735 ± 5.276 vs -6.698 ± 3.218, P > 0.05). Thus, bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis is TLR4-dependent and TLR4 promoted fibrosis in bleomycin-challenged mice.