SOCS3 Silencing Promotes Activation of Vocal Fold Fibroblasts via JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a negative regulatory protein that has been identified as a key inhibitory regulator of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. However, the mutual regulatory relationship between SOCS3 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway after vocal fold injury remains unclear. In this study, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to investigate the mechanism of SOCS3 regulating of fibroblasts through JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway after vocal fold injury. Our data shows that SOCS3 silencing promotes the transformation of normal vocal fold fibroblasts (VFFs) into an fibrotic phenotype and activates the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. JAK2 silencing significantly inhibits the increase in type I collagen and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) secretion in VFFs induced by TGF-β but has no significant effect on normal VFFs. The silencing of SOCS3 and JAK2 reverses the fibrotic phenotype of VFFs induced by SOCS3 silencing. Therefore, we suggest that SOCS3 can affect the activation of vocal fold fibroblasts by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway after vocal fold injury. It provides a new insight for promoting the repair of vocal fold injury and preventing the formation of fibrosis.