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Published on: October 19, 2013
The Specific Connexin 43-Inhibiting Peptide Gap26 Improved Alveolar Development of Neonatal Rats With Hyperoxia
Cai Qing1, Zhao Xinyi1, Yu Xuefei1
1Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Insights
Oxidative stress in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) increases connexin 43 (Cx43) gap junctions, amplifying apoptosis. The Cx43 inhibitor Gap26 improved alveolar development in a rat model, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for BPD.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Neonatology
- Cell Biology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a severe complication in preterm infants, characterized by alveolar maldevelopment.
- Oxidative stress and excessive apoptosis are key pathological features of BPD.
- Gap junction (GJ)-mediated intercellular communication, particularly involving connexin 43 (Cx43), can propagate cellular injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Cx43-GJ in BPD-related alveolar maldevelopment.
- To determine if Cx43-GJ amplifies oxidative stress signaling and induces apoptosis in BPD.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of Gap26, a Cx43-GJ inhibitor, in a neonatal hyperoxia model.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia (85% O2) from postnatal day 1 to 14, with or without Gap26 treatment.
- Rat lung epithelial (RLE-6TN) cells were cultured in vitro under normoxia or hyperoxia and treated with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or Gap26.
- Evaluated Cx43 expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling pathway activity, apoptosis, and GJ intercellular communication (dye-coupling assay).
Main Results:
- In vitro, hyperoxia increased ROS, Cx43 expression, and GJ communication; Gap26 reduced ROS, inhibited ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling, and decreased apoptosis.
- In vivo, hyperoxia exposure led to increased ROS, Cx43 expression, activated ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling, and excessive apoptosis.
- Gap26 treatment reversed hyperoxia-induced changes, improving alveolar development in neonatal rats.
Conclusions:
- Oxidative stress upregulates Cx43 expression and enhances Cx43-GJ-mediated intercellular communication.
- Cx43-GJ signaling amplifies oxidative stress, promoting apoptosis via the ASK1-JNK/p38 pathway.
- Gap26 demonstrates potential as a novel therapeutic agent to mitigate alveolar developmental defects in BPD.
Abstract:
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common devastating pulmonary complication in preterm infants. Alveolar maldevelopment is the crucial pathological change of BPD highly associated with oxidative stress-mediated excessive apoptosis. Cellular injury can be propagated and amplified by gap junction (GJ)-mediated intercellular communication. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the most ubiquitous and critical GJ protein. Gap26 is a specific Cx43 mimic peptide, playing as a Cx43-GJ inhibitor. We hypothesized that Cx43-GJ was involved in alveolar maldevelopment of BPD via amplifying oxidative stress signaling and inducing excessive apoptosis. Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were kept in either normoxia (21% O2) or hyperoxia (85% O2) continuously from postnatal day (PN) 1 to 14 in the presence or absence of Gap26. Moreover, RLE-6TN cells (type II alveolar epithelial cells of rats) were cultured in vitro under normoxia (21% O2) or hyperoxia (85% O2). RLE-6TN cells were treated by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (a kind of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger) or Gap26. Morphological properties of lung tissue are detected. Markers associated with Cx43 expression, ROS production, the activity of the ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling pathway, and apoptotic level are detected in vivo and in vitro, respectively. In vitro, the ability of GJ-mediated intercellular communication was examined by dye-coupling assay. In vitro, our results demonstrated ROS increased Cx43 expression and GJ-mediated intercellular communication and Gap26 treatment decreased ROS production, inhibited ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling, and decreased apoptosis. In vivo, we found that hyperoxia exposure resulted in increased ROS production and Cx43 expression, activated ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling, and induced excessive apoptosis. However, Gap26 treatment reversed these changes, thus improving alveolar development in neonatal rats with hyperoxia exposure. In summary, oxidative stress increased Cx43 expression and Cx43-GJ-mediated intercellular communication. And Cx43-GJ-mediated intercellular communication amplified oxidative stress signaling, inducing excessive apoptosis via the ASK1-JNK/p38 signaling pathway. The specific connexin 43-inhibiting peptide Gap26 was a novel therapeutic strategy to improve the alveolar development of BPD.
