[關鍵詞] 哮喘;哺乳動物雷帕霉素靶蛋白;真核生物始動因子 4E 結合蛋白 1;缺氧誘導因子 -1α;血管內皮生長因子;小鼠。
Abstract: Objective To study the expression and significance of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/eukaryote initiating factor 4E binding protein 1(4EBP1)/hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelialgrowth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway in asthmatic mice. Methods Forty SPF level 6-8 week-old female Balb/C mice were randomly divided into control, asthma, budesonide and mTOR inhibitor (rapamycin) intervention groups(n=10 each)。 The asthmatic mouse model was prepared via OVA induction and challenge test. The intervention groupswere administered with rapamycin at the dosage of 3 mg/kg by an intraperitoneal injection or budesonide suspensionat the dosage of l mg by aerosol inhalation respectively 30 minutes before the OVA challenge. The control and asthmagroups were treated with normal saline instead. The concentrations of HIF-1α and VEGF in bronchoalveolar lavagefluid (BALF) were examined using ELISA 24 hours after the last challenge. The pathological changes of lung tissuewere observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The p-mTOR and p-4EBP1 from the lung tissues were detected byimmunohistochemistry and Western blot. Pearson analysis was used to study the correlation between p-mTOR, p-4EBP1,HIF-1α, and VEGF expression. Results Compared with the control group, inflammatory cell infiltration and secretionsin the trachea increased in the asthma group. The levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in BALF and p-mTOR and p-4EBP1expression in lung tissues also increased (P<0.01)。 Compared with the asthma group, inflammatory cell infiltration andsecretions in the trachea were reduced in the two intervention groups, and the levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in BALF andp-mTOR and p-4EBP1 expression in lung tissues were also reduced (P<0.01)。 There were no significant differences inthe above changes between the two intervention groups and control group (P>0.05)。 In the asthma group, there was apairwise positive correlation between lung p-mTOR and p-4EBP1 expression and HIF-1α and VEGF levels in BALF(P<0.05)。 However, there were no correlations in the above indexes in the intervention groups and control group.Conclusions p-mTOR, p-4EBP1, HIF-1α and VEGF together are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Rapamycintreatment can block this signaling pathway, suggesting that this pathway can be used as a novel target for asthmatreatment. [Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2017, 19(1):104-110]
Key words: Asthma; Mammalian target of rapamycin; Eukaryote initiating factor 4E binding protein 1; Hypoxiainducible factor-1α; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Mice.
哮喘是由嗜酸性粒細胞、肥大細胞及多種細胞因子等共同作用,以氣道慢性炎癥浸潤、氣道重塑及可逆性氣流受限為特征的慢性呼吸系統疾病[1],至今發病機制并不完全清楚。哺乳動物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(mammalian target of rapamycin, mTOR)是一種高度保守的絲氨酸 / 蘇氨酸蛋白激酶,由于處于生長調節的中心環節而倍受關注 , 在炎癥損傷、免疫應答及腫瘤等方面發揮重要作用[2-3].研究發現 mTOR 高表達也同樣存在于哮喘中,這可能因為 mTOR 參與了哮喘氣道炎癥浸潤及氣道重塑等病理過程[4],而 mTOR 抑制劑雷帕霉素能阻斷這一過程抑制哮喘的發生,但 mTOR 是如何通過下游靶蛋白參與哮喘的發生少見相關報道。真核生物始動因子 4E 結合蛋白 1(eukaryote initiatingfactor 4E binding protein 1, 4EBP1)是 mTOR 下游的一個重要靶蛋白,激活后可促進包括缺氧誘導因子 -1α(hypoxia inducible factor-1α, HIF-1α)、血管內皮生長因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)在內的調節細胞生長關鍵蛋白的翻譯[5],研究發現 HIF-1α 及 VEGF 在哮喘發生中發揮重要作用[6-8],由此我們推測 mTOR 可能通過激活4EBP1 從而引起 HIF-1α 及 VEGF 表達增加促進哮喘發生,而磷酸化的mTOR、4EBP1(即 p-mTOR、p-4EBP1)被認為是該信號通路激活的標志,本研究通過建立小鼠哮喘模型,檢測肺組織 p-mTOR、p-4EBP1及肺泡灌洗液中HIF-1α、VEGF的表達,從而進一步明確哮喘的發病機制,尋找有效治療哮喘的新方法。
1 材料與方法。
1.1 實驗動物與試劑。
SPF 級 6~8 周齡雌性 Balb/c 小鼠 40 只,體重為18~22 g,由河南省動物實驗中心提供。p-mTOR、p-4EBP1 抗體(美國 Santa Cruz 公司),雷帕霉素、卵清蛋白(OVA)(美國 Sigma 公司)。
1.2 動物模型制備與分組。