
Semaphorin (SEMA) 7A regulates neuronal and immune function. In these studies, we tested the hypothesis that SEMA 7A is also a critical regulator of tissue remodeling. These studies demonstrate that SEMA 7A and its receptors, plexin C1 and β1 integrins, are stimulated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in the murine lung. They also demonstrate that SEMA 7A plays a critical role in TGF-β1–induced fibrosis, myofibroblast hyperplasia, alveolar remodeling, and apoptosis. TGF-β1 stimulated SEMA 7A via a largely Smad 3–independent mechanism and stimulated SEMA 7A receptors, matrix proteins, CCN proteins, fibroblast growth factor 2, interleukin 13 receptor components, proteases, antiprotease, and apoptosis regulators via Smad 2/3–independent and SEMA 7A–dependent mechanisms. SEMA 7A also played an important role in the pathogenesis of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. TGF-β1 and bleomycin also activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB)/AKT via SEMA 7A–dependent mechanisms, and PKB/AKT inhibition diminished TGF-β1–induced fibrosis. These observations demonstrate that SEMA 7A and its receptors are induced by TGF-β1 and that SEMA 7A plays a central role in a PI3K/PKB/AKT-dependent pathway that contributes to TGF-β1–induced fibrosis and remodeling. They also demonstrate that the effects of SEMA 7A are not specific for transgenic TGF-β1, highlighting the importance of these findings for other fibrotic stimuli.
Analysis of Variance, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Integrin beta1, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Immunoblotting, Apoptosis, Mice, Transgenic, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Receptors, Cell Surface, Articles, Immunohistochemistry, Pulmonary Alveoli, Mice, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, Antigens, CD, In Situ Nick-End Labeling, Animals, Collagen, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, In Situ Hybridization, DNA Damage
Analysis of Variance, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Integrin beta1, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Immunoblotting, Apoptosis, Mice, Transgenic, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Receptors, Cell Surface, Articles, Immunohistochemistry, Pulmonary Alveoli, Mice, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, Antigens, CD, In Situ Nick-End Labeling, Animals, Collagen, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, In Situ Hybridization, DNA Damage
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