Neutrophil elastase-SERPINB1 axis in epithelial responses: Cell death, inflammation and SERPINB1 dynamics

Chronic inflammatory lung diseases are associated with elevated levels of neutrophil elastase (NE), leading to epithelial damage and dysregulated cellular responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying NE-mediated disruption of epithelial anti-protease defenses, including the regulation of SERPINB1, remain poorly defined. In this study, we investigated NE-induced responses in bronchial epithelial cells cultured at air-liquid interface (ALI) focusing on epithelial cell death, inflammation, and SERPINB1 dynamics. NE exposure induced dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, accompanied by morphological alterations, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and modest changes in caspase-3, -8, and -9 activity. In ALI cultures, NE was applied either apically, basolaterally or to both compartments simultaneously to evaluate exposure-side-dependent epithelial responses. NE differentially modulated apoptosis-related gene expression, including changes in BCL2, BAX, CASP3, CASP8, CASP9, PARP1, and AIF, depending on NE concentration and exposure side. Cytokine profiling revealed dose-, exposure-side-, and sampling-compartment-dependent changes in IL-6, IL-8, and GM-CSF secretion. Importantly, SERPINB1 expression was markedly reduced at both mRNA and protein levels, while domain-specific immunofluorescence suggested altered SERPINB1 localization and epitope accessibility, suggesting functional alterations beyond transcriptional loss. siRNA-mediated SERPINB1 knockdown further modified NE-associated apoptosis-related gene expression, supporting a functional link between NE exposure and epithelial SERPINB1 regulation. Collectively, these findings establish the NE-SERPINB1 axis as a critical determinant of epithelial cell fate, contributing to epithelial apoptosis, inflammatory mediator release, and protease-antiprotease imbalance. This study provides a systematic analysis of dose- and exposure-side-dependent epithelial responses to NE under ALI culture conditions. Our results highlight the NE-SERPINB1 axis as a contributor to epithelial dysfunction in chronic airway inflammation and support the exploration of SERPINB1-modulating strategies for preserving epithelial integrity and mitigating neutrophil-driven pathology in lung diseases.