WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 contributes to ventilator-induced lung injury

Although strides have been made to reduce ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), critically ill patients can vary in sensitivity to VILI, suggesting gene-environment interactions could contribute to individual susceptibility. This study sought to uncover candidate genes associated with VILI using a genome-wide approach followed by functional analysis of the leading candidate in mice. Alveolar-capillary permeability after high tidal volume (HTV) ventilation was measured in 23 mouse strains, and haplotype association mapping was performed. A locus was identified on chromosome 15 that contained ArfGAP with SH3 domain, ankyrin repeat and PH domain 1 (Asap1), adenylate cyclase 8 (Adcy8), WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (Wisp1), and N-myc downstream regulated 1 (Ndrg1). Information from published studies guided initial assessment to Wisp1. After HTV, lung WISP1 protein increased in sensitive A/J mice, but was unchanged in resistant CBA/J mice. Anti-WISP1 antibody decreased HTV-induced alveolar-capillary permeability in sensitive A/J mice, and recombinant WISP1 protein increased HTV-induced alveolar-capillary permeability in resistant CBA/J mice. HTV-induced WISP1 coimmunoprecipitated with glycosylated Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 in A/J lung homogenates. After HTV, WISP1 increased in strain-matched control lungs, but was unchanged in TLR4 gene-targeted lungs. In peritoneal macrophages from strain-matched mice, WISP1 augmented LPS-induced TNF release that was inhibited in macrophages from TLR4 or CD14 antigen gene-targeted mice, and was attenuated in macrophages from myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 gene-targeted or TLR adaptor molecule 1 mutant mice. These findings support a role for WISP1 as an endogenous signal that acts through TLR4 signaling to increase alveolar-capillary permeability in VILI.