The role of new lipid mediator in the pathogenesis of interstitial pneumonia

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09180
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Masaki 鹿児島大学, 医歯学総合研究科, 特任助教 (90398298)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 井上 博雅 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 教授 (30264039)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OIKE Yuichi 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部・分子遺伝学分野 (90312321)
• Research Collaborator: MOTOKAWA Ikuyo
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 間質性肺炎 / アンジオポエチン様因子2

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) is a chronic inflammatory mediator that is associated with various pathologies. However, little is known about its activity in lung. We observed abundant ANGPTL2 expression in both alveolar epithelial type I and type II cells and in resident alveolar macrophages under normal conditions. Bleomycin-treated wild type mice showed specifically upregulated ANGPTL2 expression in areas of severe interstitial pneumonia, while Angptl2 KO mice developed more severe lung fibrosis than did comparably treated wild-type mice. Angptl2 loss in myeloid cells does not underlie fibrotic phenotypes. We conclude that Angptl2 deficiency in lung epithelial cells and resident alveolar macrophages causes severe lung fibrosis seen following bleomycin treatment, suggesting that ANGPTL2 derived from these cell types plays a protective role against fibrosis in lung.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科学