Effect of SOCS3 on vocal fold fibroblast activation by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway

To explore the regulation of SOCS3 in the JAK2/STAT3 pathway during vocal fold fibroblast activation after vocal fold injury.

Normal vocal fold fibroblasts (VFFs), injured VFFs, and simulated injured VFFs (normal VFFs supplemented with transforming growth factor beta [TGF-β]) were treated with a JAK2 inhibitor (AG490), and SOCS3 was overexpressed in each group. Type I collagen (COL1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), SOCS3, JAK2, and STAT3 were detected using immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blotting.

Compared with normal VFFs, expression of SOCS3 was lower, but p-JAK/p-STAT3 and JAK2/STAT3 were higher in injured and simulated injured VFFs. After the addition of AG490, COL1 and α-SMA expressions did not change significantly in normal VFFs but was significantly decreased in the other two groups. The protein and mRNA expression levels of SOCS3 were significantly increased, while those of p-JAK/p-STAT3 and JAK2/STAT3 were significantly decreased. When SOCS3 was overexpressed, the COL1 and α-SMA expression levels in normal VFFs were not altered significantly, whereas they were significantly decreased in injured and simulated injured VFFs. The expression of p-JAK2/p-STAT3 significantly decreased when SOCS3 was overexpressed in injured and simulated injured VFFs.

SOCS3 may regulate the activation of JAK2/STATA3 pathway after vocal fold injury. In addition, SOCS3 may inhibit excessive activation of vocal fold fibroblasts by downregulating JAK2/STAT3 in the early stages of vocal fold injury.