Toll-like Receptor 3 Is a Therapeutic Target for Pulmonary Hypertension

• Published in: American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2019-01, Vol.199 (2), p.199-210
• Main Authors: Farkas, Daniela, Thompson, A A Roger, Bhagwani, Aneel R, Hultman, Schuyler, Ji, Hyun, Kotha, Naveen, Farr, Grant, Arnold, Nadine D, Braithwaite, Adam, Casbolt, Helen, Cole, Jennifer E, Sabroe, Ian, Monaco, Claudia, Cool, Carlyne D, Goncharova, Elena A, Lawrie, Allan, Farkas, Laszlo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Cytokines; Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Experiments; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - genetics; Hypertension, Pulmonary - metabolism; Hypoxia; Laboratory animals; Lung - metabolism; Medical prognosis; Mice; Original; Pulmonary arteries; Pulmonary hypertension; Rats; Signal Transduction; Smooth muscle; Toll-Like Receptor 3 - genetics; Toll-Like Receptor 3 - metabolism; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 1073-449X; 1535-4970
• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201707-1370OC

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by vascular cell proliferation and endothelial cell apoptosis. TLR3 (Toll-like receptor 3) is a receptor for double-stranded RNA and has been recently implicated in vascular protection. To study the expression and role of TLR3 in PAH and to determine whether a TLR3 agonist reduces pulmonary hypertension in preclinical models. Lung tissue and endothelial cells from patients with PAH were investigated by polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and apoptosis assays. TLR3 and TLR3 mice were exposed to chronic hypoxia and SU5416. Chronic hypoxia or chronic hypoxia/SU5416 rats were treated with the TLR3 agonist polyinosinic/polycytidylic acid (Poly[I:C]). TLR3 expression was reduced in PAH patient lung tissue and endothelial cells, and TLR3 mice exhibited more severe pulmonary hypertension following exposure to chronic hypoxia/SU5416. TLR3 knockdown promoted double-stranded RNA signaling via other intracellular RNA receptors in endothelial cells. This was associated with greater susceptibility to apoptosis, a known driver of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Poly(I:C) increased TLR3 expression via IL-10 in rat endothelial cells. In vivo, high-dose Poly(I:C) reduced pulmonary hypertension in both rat models in proof-of-principle experiments. In addition, Poly(I:C) also reduced right ventricular failure in established pulmonary hypertension. Our work identifies a novel role for TLR3 in PAH based on the findings that reduced expression of TLR3 contributes to endothelial apoptosis and pulmonary vascular remodeling.