Up-regulation of Pim-3 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients and its potential therapeutic role in COPD rat modeling.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Pim-3 belongs to the PIM kinase family and plays an important role in promoting inflammation, which is essential in the pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

METHODS:

Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot, and RT-PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression of Pim-3 in both COPD and healthy lung tissue samples. SMA (Smooth Muscle Actin) and Cyclin D1 expression were detected by IHC. We also constructed animal models for the control, COPD, and Pim-3 inhibition groups, in order to analyze the effects of Pim-3 inhibition on COPD, and the role of Pim-3 in the p38 pathway.

RESULTS:

Compared with normal lung tissue, Pim-3 mRNA and protein were up-regulated in COPD tissue. Expression of Cyclin D1 and SMA were also up-regulated in the COPD group. In the animal model experiment, we found that suppression of Pim-3 decreased Pim-3, Cyclin D1, and SMA expression, as well as ameliorated lung damage in COPD patients. The inhibition of Pim-3 also resulted in the suppression of the p38 pathway.

CONCLUSION:

Our study suggests that up-regulation of Pim-3 successfully accelerated COPD development, and aggravated lung damage. The molecular mechanism of Pim-3 in COPD might be related to the p38 pathway, and is correlated with Cyclin D1 and SMA expression.

• Authors: Cheng Yang, Li Li, Junhua Guo, Weiqiang Zhang, Wenbiao Zhu, Xinhui Rao, Wenjie Huang
• Journal: Pathology, research and practice (Pathol Res Pract) Vol. 213 Issue 4 Pg. 322-326 (Apr 2017) ISSN: 1618-0631 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 28214201 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Proto-Oncogene Proteins
• PIM3 protein, human
• Pim3 protein, rat
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases

Topics

• Animals
• Blotting, Western
• Disease Models, Animal
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins (metabolism)
• Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive (metabolism, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Up-Regulation